GENEVA, April 5: At least 3,797 people were executed in 25 countries and at least 7,395 were sentenced to death in 64 countries last year, the rights organization Amnesty International said on Tuesday.

It said these were only minimum reported figures and that the true toll was certainly higher.

Last year, Amnesty International said in a report, 97 per cent of all known executions took place in China, Iran, Vietnam and the United States.

Iran executed at least 159 people, and Vietnam at least 64. There were 59 executions in the United States, down from 65 in 2003.

A total of 120 countries have abolished the death penalty in law or practice, the report said.

It said 84 countries and territories have abolished the death penalty for all crimes, and 12 countries have abolished the death penalty for all but exceptional crimes such as treason in war.

A further 24 countries can be considered abolitionist in practice: they retain the death penalty in law but have not carried out any executions for the past 10 years or more.—AFP