A Florida man who spent 35 years on Death Row for the murder of his neighbor was executed by lethal injection on Tuesday, state prison officials said.Thirty-nine of last year's executions were

The Tennessee Supreme Court has temporarily blocked a lower court’s order that would have let media witnesses view more parts of state-run executions.

UN rights chief Turk said drug-related offences not involving loss of life did not meet the ‘most serious crimes’ standard by international law.

Executions then resumed in 1977, when double murderer Gary Gilmore was put to death by firing squad. A steady rise in state-level executions followed, reaching a peak of 98 in 1999 and then declining again.

Organisations warn many more people could be executed in the wake of the anti-government protests which swept Iran earlier this year.