The most terrible executions in history. The most brutal executions in Alcatraz

Back in the 19th and early 20th centuries, execution was considered a preferable punishment compared to prison because being in prison was a slow death. The stay in prison was paid for by relatives, and they themselves often asked that the culprit be killed.
Convicts were not kept in prisons - it was too expensive. If relatives had money, they could take their loved one for support (usually he sat in an earthen pit). But a tiny part of society was able to afford it.
Therefore, the main method of punishment for minor crimes (theft, insulting an official, etc.) was the stocks. The most common type of last is “kanga” (or “jia”). It was used very widely, since it did not require the state to build a prison, and also prevented escape.
Sometimes, in order to further reduce the cost of punishment, several prisoners were chained in this neck block. But even in this case, relatives or compassionate people had to feed the criminal.

Each judge considered it his duty to invent his own reprisals against criminals and prisoners. The most common were: sawing off the foot (first they sawed off one foot, the second time the repeat offender caught the other), removal of the kneecaps, cutting off the nose, cutting off the ears, branding.
In an effort to make the punishment more severe, the judges came up with an execution called “carry out five types of punishment.” The criminal should have been branded, his arms or legs cut off, beaten to death with sticks, and his head put on display in the market for everyone to see.

In Chinese tradition, beheading was considered a more severe form of execution than strangulation, despite the prolonged torment inherent in strangulation.
The Chinese believed that the human body is a gift from his parents, and therefore returning a dismembered body into oblivion is extremely disrespectful to the ancestors. Therefore, at the request of relatives, and more often for a bribe, other types of executions were used.

Removal. The criminal was tied to a pole, a rope was wrapped around his neck, the ends of which were in the hands of the executioners. They slowly twist the rope with special sticks, gradually strangling the convict.
The strangulation could last a very long time, since the executioners at times loosened the rope and allowed the almost strangled victim to take several convulsive breaths, and then tightened the noose again.

"Cage", or "standing stocks" (Li-chia) - the device for this execution is a neck block, which was fixed on top of bamboo or wooden poles tied into a cage, at a height of approximately 2 meters. The convicted person was placed in a cage, and bricks or tiles were placed under his feet, and then they were slowly removed.
The executioner removed the bricks, and the man hung with his neck pinched by the block, which began to choke him, this could continue for months until all the supports were removed.

Lin-Chi - "death by a thousand cuts" or "sea pike bites" - the most terrible execution by cutting small pieces from the victim's body over a long period of time.
Such execution followed for high treason and parricide. Ling-chi, for the purpose of intimidation, was performed in public places with a large crowd of onlookers.

For capital crimes and other serious offenses, there were 6 classes of punishment. The first was called lin-chi. This punishment was applied to traitors, parricides, murderers of brothers, husbands, uncles and mentors.
The criminal was tied to a cross and cut into either 120, or 72, or 36, or 24 pieces. In the presence of extenuating circumstances, his body was cut into only 8 pieces as a sign of imperial favor.
The criminal was cut into 24 pieces as follows: eyebrows were cut off with 1 and 2 blows; 3 and 4 - shoulders; 5 and 6 - mammary glands; 7 and 8 - arm muscles between the hand and elbow; 9 and 10 - arm muscles between the elbow and shoulder; 11 and 12 - flesh from the thighs; 13 and 14 - calves; 15 - a blow pierced the heart; 16 - the head was cut off; 17 and 18 - hands; 19 and 20 - the remaining parts of the hands; 21 and 22 - feet; 23 and 24 - legs. They cut it into 8 pieces like this: cut off the eyebrows with 1 and 2 blows; 3 and 4 - shoulders; 5 and 6 - mammary glands; 7 - pierced the heart with a blow; 8 - the head was cut off.

But there was a way to avoid these monstrous types of execution - for a large bribe. For a very large bribe, the jailer could give a criminal awaiting death in an earthen pit a knife or even poison. But it is clear that few could afford such expenses.

In this post we want to expand and continue this topic a little, so we present to you the most terrible executions in the world. The faint of heart may not read.

1. This type of execution was widely used by the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, and then the Romans. The most notorious criminals, rebels and slaves were executed using crucifixion. Death by crucifixion was considered shameful. First, the criminal was stripped naked (leaving only a loincloth), then beaten with rods, and then forced to carry a huge cross to the place of his execution. After this, the cross was dug into the ground on a hill and a person was lifted on ropes, after which they were nailed to the cross. Death was long and painful. The man experienced intense thirst, pain and suffering. This is exactly the kind of execution Jesus Christ suffered. And now the crucifix is ​​a symbol of Christianity.

2. Liying Chi or Death by a Thousand Cuts. This painful execution was invented in China during the Qing Dynasty. High-ranking officials who were convicted of corruption were most often executed in this way. The essence of the execution is that the criminal could be sentenced to a year of torture and the executioner would stretch out this execution for a year. Every day, the executioner must come to the condemned person’s cell and cut off a small part of the body (for example, a piece of a finger), after which he must immediately cauterize the wound to stop the bleeding so that the condemned person does not die. The next day the procedure is repeated, and so on throughout the entire period until the convict dies. This torture can even be called the most terrible execution.

3. Punishment by the wall. An ancient Egyptian execution, the purpose of which was to wall up the prisoner within the walls of a dungeon, where he slowly died of suffocation.

4. This device resembles a pyramid on legs. The essence of this execution is that the convict is placed on this pyramid right at the tip, after which, due to the severity of his weight, the person sank lower and lower along the pyramid, and his body simply simply tore apart and the person felt simply wild pain. To make it even more cruel, they even hung weights on their feet. Thanks to such an execution, a person could die from several hours to several days. Among other things, this cradle was never washed, so people often suffered from various purulent infections.

5. . Also a very terrible and terrible execution. The victim was tied to a large wheel, after which the wheel spun, and the executioner struck strong blows to the limbs with a hammer, breaking them. After all the limbs were crushed to smithereens, the victim was left to slowly die on this wheel. People often died from dehydration. Sometimes it happened that the executioner hit vital organs, then the victim died quickly. Such blows even got their own name - “Swing of Grace”.

6. A nice metal cap was placed on the victim’s head, and the chin was fixed on the bottom bar. There was a large screw on the cap, which the executioner screwed into the victim's head. This was one of the favorite tortures of the Spanish Inquisition.

7. Hanging by the rib. This terrible torture consisted of stabbing a condemned person in the side with a hook and hanging him by the rib; in addition, his hands were tied so that he could not free himself. The man experienced terrible pain and was forced to hang until his death. Often in this way people died simply from dehydration.

8. Skafism. An ancient form of execution. The person was placed in a tree trunk and was given only water to capacity. The man suffered from terrible diarrhea and all this feces accumulated constantly. And from the abundance of honey and feces, a bunch of insects flew in, which began to feed on all this and multiply directly in the human skin. Death could occur within 2 weeks if the person did not die earlier from starvation, dehydration or infection.

9. Flaying. The condemned man was torn off all his skin alive. This was done for everyone to see, and it was done in order to keep other residents in fear and obedience.

10. Crushing. A huge board was placed on the victim, on which a huge load (stones) was gradually placed. As a result, the person died either from lack of air or from crushing.

25. Skafism

An ancient Persian method of execution in which a person was stripped naked and placed in a tree trunk so that only the head, arms and legs protruded. They were then fed only milk and honey until the victim suffered from severe diarrhea. Thus, honey got into all open areas of the body, which was supposed to attract insects. As the person's feces accumulated, it would increasingly attract insects and they would start feeding and breeding in his/her skin, which would become more gangrenous. Death may take more than 2 weeks and is most likely due to starvation, dehydration and shock.

24. Guillotine

Created in the late 1700s, it was one of the first methods of execution that called for ending a life rather than inflicting pain. Although the guillotine was specifically invented as a form of human execution, it was banned in France, and was last used in 1977.

23. Republican marriage

A very strange method of execution was practiced in France. The man and woman were tied together and then thrown into the river to drown.

22. Cement shoes

The execution method was preferred by the American mafia. Similar to Republican Marriage in that it used drowning, but instead of being tied to a person of the opposite sex, the victim's feet were placed in concrete blocks.

21. Execution by an elephant

Elephants in Southeast Asia were often trained to prolong the death of their prey. The elephant is a heavy beast, but easy to train. Teaching him to trample criminals on command has always been an exciting thing. Many times this method has been used to show that there are rulers even in the natural world.

20. Walk on the plank

Mainly practiced by pirates and sailors. The victims often did not have time to drown, as they were attacked by sharks, which, as a rule, followed the ships.

19. Bestiary - torn to pieces by wild animals

Bestiaries were criminals in Ancient Rome who were given over to be torn to pieces by wild animals. Although sometimes the act was voluntary and carried out for money or recognition, often the bestiaries were political prisoners who were sent into the arena naked and unable to defend themselves.

18. Mazatello

The method is named after the weapon used during execution, usually a hammer. This method of capital punishment was popular in the Papal States in the 18th century. The condemned man was escorted to the scaffold in the square and he was left alone with the executioner and the coffin. Then the executioner raised the hammer and struck the victim's head. Since such a blow, as a rule, did not lead to death, the victims' throats were cut immediately after the blow.

17. Vertical “shaker”

Originating in the United States, this method of capital punishment is now often used in countries such as Iran. Although very similar to hanging, in this case, in order to sever the spinal cord, the victims were violently lifted up by the neck, usually using a crane.

16. Sawing

Supposedly used in parts of Europe and Asia. The victim was turned upside down and then sawed in half, starting from the groin. Since the victim was upside down, the brain received enough blood to keep the victim conscious while the major abdominal vessels were ruptured.

15. Skinning

The act of removing skin from a person's body. This type of execution was often used to incite fear, as the execution was usually carried out in a public place in full view of everyone.

14. Bloody Eagle

This type of execution was described in the Scandinavian sagas. The victim's ribs were broken so that they resembled wings. Then the lungs of the victim were pulled through the hole between the ribs. The wounds were sprinkled with salt.

13. Torture grid

Roasting a victim over hot coals.

12. Crush

Although you have already read about the elephant crushing method, there is another similar method. Crushing was popular in Europe and America as a method of torture. Each time the victim refused to comply, more weight was placed on their chest until the victim died from lack of air.

11. Wheeling

Also known as Catherine's Wheel. The wheel looked like an ordinary cart wheel, only larger in size with more spokes. The victim was undressed, the arms and legs were spread out and tied, then the executioner beat the victim with a large hammer, breaking the bones. At the same time, the executioner tried not to deliver fatal blows.

So, the most brutal executions and tortures are top 10:

10. Spanish tickler

The method is also known as "cat's paws". These devices were used by the executioner to tear and tear off the skin of the victim. Often death did not occur immediately, but as a result of infection.

9. Burning at the stake

A popular method of death penalty in history. If the victim was lucky, he or she was executed along with several others. This ensured that the flames would be large and that death would result from carbon monoxide poisoning rather than being burned alive.

8. Bamboo

Extremely slow and painful punishment was used in Asia. The bamboo stems sticking out of the ground were sharpened. The accused was then hung over the place where this bamboo grew. The rapid growth of bamboo and its pointed tips allowed the plant to pierce a person’s body in one night.

7. Premature burial

This technique has been used by governments throughout the history of capital punishment. One of the last documented cases was during the Nanjing massacre in 1937, when Japanese troops buried Chinese citizens alive.

6. Ling Chi

Also known as "death by slow cutting" or "slow death", this form of execution was eventually outlawed in China in the early 20th century. The victim's body organs were slowly and methodically removed while the executioner tried to keep him or her alive as long as possible.

5. Seppuku

A form of ritual suicide that allowed a warrior to die with honor. It was used by samurai.

4. Copper bull

The design of this death machine was developed by the ancient Greeks, namely the coppersmith Perillus, who sold the terrible bull to the Sicilian tyrant Phalaris so that he could execute criminals in a new way. Inside the copper statue, through the door, a living person was placed. And then... Phalaris first tested the unit on its developer, the unfortunate greedy Perilla. Subsequently, Phalaris himself was roasted in a bull.

3. Colombian tie

A person's throat is cut with a knife, and the tongue sticks out through the hole. This method of murder indicated that the murdered man had given some information to the police.

2. Crucifixion

A particularly cruel method of execution, used mainly by the Romans. It was as slow, painful and humiliating as it could be. Usually, after prolonged beating or torture, the victim was forced to carry his cross to the place of his death. She was subsequently either nailed or tied to a cross, where she hung for several weeks. Death, as a rule, occurred from lack of air.

1. The most brutal executions: Hanged, drowned and dismembered

Used mainly in England. The method is considered one of the most brutal forms of execution ever created. As the name suggests, the execution was carried out in three parts. Part one - the victim was tied to a wooden frame. So she hung almost until she was half dead. Immediately after this, the victim's stomach was ripped open, and the insides were taken out and removed. Next, the entrails were burned in front of the victim. The condemned man was then beheaded. After all this, his body was divided into four parts and scattered throughout England as a public display. This punishment was applied only to men; convicted women, as a rule, were burned at the stake.

With the development of civilization, human life acquired value regardless of social status and wealth. It is all the more terrible to read about the dark pages of history, when the law did not simply deprive a person of life, but turned execution into a spectacle for the amusement of the common people. In other cases, the execution could be ritual or edifying in nature. Unfortunately, there are similar episodes in modern history. We have compiled a list of the most brutal executions ever practiced by people.

Executions of the Ancient World

Skafism

The word “scaphism” is derived from the ancient Greek word “trough”, “boat”, and the method itself went down in history thanks to Plutarch, who described the execution of the Greek ruler Mithridates at the behest of Artaxerxes, the king of the ancient Persians.

First, the person was stripped naked and tied inside two dugout boats in such a way that his head, arms and legs remained outside, which were thickly coated with honey. The victim was then force-fed a mixture of milk and honey to induce diarrhea. After this, the boat was lowered onto still water - a pond or lake. Lured by the smell of honey and sewage, insects clung to the human body, slowly devoured the flesh and laid larvae in the resulting gangrenous ulcers. The victim survived for up to two weeks. Death occurred from three factors: infection, exhaustion and dehydration.

Execution by impalement was invented in Assyria (modern Iraq). In this way, residents of rebellious cities and women who had an abortion were punished - then this procedure was considered infanticide.

The execution was carried out in two ways. In one version, the convict was pierced through the chest with a stake, in the other, the tip of the stake passed through the body through the anus. Tormented people were often depicted in bas-reliefs as edification. Later, this execution began to be used by the peoples of the Middle East and the Mediterranean, as well as by Slavic peoples and some European ones.

Execution by elephants

This method was used mainly in India and Sri Lanka. Indian elephants are highly trainable, which is what the rulers of Southeast Asia took advantage of.

There were many ways to kill a person with the help of an elephant. For example, armor with sharp spears was put on the tusks, with which the elephant pierced the criminal and then, while still alive, tore him into pieces. But most often, elephants were trained to crush the condemned with their feet and alternately tear off limbs with their trunks. In India, a guilty person was often simply thrown under the feet of an angry animal. For reference, an Indian elephant weighs about 5 tons.

Tradition to the Beasts

Behind the beautiful phrase “Damnatio ad bestias” lies the painful death of thousands of ancient Romans, especially among the early Christians. Although, of course, this method was invented long before the Romans. Typically, lions were used for execution; bears, panthers, leopards and buffaloes were less popular.

There were two types of execution. Often, a person sentenced to death was tied to a pole in the middle of the gladiatorial arena and wild animals were unleashed on him. There were also variations: they were thrown into the cage of a hungry animal or tied to its back. In another case, the unfortunate man was forced to fight against the beast. Their weapons were a simple spear, and their “armor” was a tunic. In both cases, many spectators gathered for the execution.

Death on the cross

Crucifixion was invented by the Phoenicians, an ancient seafaring people who lived in the Mediterranean. Later, this method was adopted by the Carthaginians, and then by the Romans. The Israelis and Romans considered death on the cross to be the most shameful, because it was the way to execute hardened criminals, slaves and traitors.

Before the crucifixion, the person was undressed, leaving only a loincloth. He was beaten with leather whips or freshly cut rods, after which he was forced to carry a cross weighing about 50 kilograms to the place of crucifixion. Having dug the cross into the ground by the road outside the city or on a hill, the person was lifted with ropes and nailed to a horizontal bar. Sometimes the convict's legs were first crushed with an iron rod. Death occurred from exhaustion, dehydration or pain shock.

After the ban on Christianity in feudal Japan in the 17th century. the crucifix was used against visiting missionaries and Japanese Christians. The execution scene on the cross is present in Martin Scorsese's drama Silence, which tells exactly about this period.

Execution by bamboo

The ancient Chinese were champions of sophisticated torture and execution. One of the most exotic methods of killing is stretching the culprit over growing shoots of young bamboo. The sprouts made their way through the human body for several days, causing incredible suffering to the executed person.

Ling-chi

“Ling-chi” is translated into Russian as “sea pike bites.” There was another name - “death by a thousand cuts.” This method was used during the reign of the Qing dynasty, and high-ranking officials convicted of corruption were executed in this way. Every year there were 15-20 such people.

The essence of “ling chi” is the gradual cutting off of small parts from the body. For example, having cut off one phalanx of a finger, the executioner cauterized the wound and then proceeded to the next one. The court determined how many pieces needed to be cut from the body. The most popular verdict was cutting into 24 parts, and the most notorious criminals were sentenced to 3 thousand cuts. In such cases, the victim was given opium: this way she did not lose consciousness, but the pain made its way even through the veil of drug intoxication.

Sometimes, as a sign of special mercy, the ruler could order the executioner to first kill the condemned with one blow and then torture the corpse. This method of execution was practiced for 900 years and was banned in 1905.

Executions of the Middle Ages

Bloody Eagle

Historians question the existence of the Blood Eagle execution, but mention of it is found in Scandinavian folklore. This method was used by residents of Scandinavian countries in the early Middle Ages.

The harsh Vikings killed their enemies as painfully and symbolically as possible. The man's hands were tied and he was placed on his stomach on a stump. The skin on the back was carefully cut with a sharp blade, then the ribs were pryed with an ax, breaking them out into a shape that resembled an eagle's wings. After this, the lungs were removed from the still living victim and hung on the ribs.

This execution is shown twice in the TV series Vikings with Travis Fimmel (in episode 7 of season 2 and episode 18 of season 4), although viewers noted the contradictions between the serial execution and the one described in the folklore Elder Edda.

"Bloody Eagle" in the TV series "Vikings"

Tearing by trees

Such execution was common in many regions of the world, including Rus' in the pre-Christian period. The victim was tied by the legs to two leaning trees, which were then abruptly released. One of the legends says that Prince Igor was killed by the Drevlyans in 945 - because he wanted to collect tribute from them twice.

Quartering

The method was used as in medieval Europe. Each limb was tied to horses - the animals tore the condemned person into 4 parts. In Rus' they also practiced quartering, but this word meant a completely different execution - the executioner alternately chopped off with an ax first the legs, then the arms, and then the head.

Wheeling

Wheeling as a form of death penalty was widely used in France and Germany during the Middle Ages. In Russia, this type of execution was also known at a later time - from the 17th to the 19th centuries. The essence of the punishment was that first the guilty person was tied to the wheel, facing the sky, with his arms and legs fastened to the spokes. After that, his limbs were broken and in this form they were left to die in the sun.

Flaying

Flaying, or skinning, was invented in Assyria, then moved to Persia and spread throughout the Ancient World. In the Middle Ages, the Inquisition improved this type of execution - with the help of a device called the “Spanish tickler,” a person’s skin was torn into small pieces, which were not difficult to tear off.

Welded alive

This execution was also invented in ancient times and received a second wind in the Middle Ages. This is how they executed mostly counterfeiters. A person caught counterfeiting money was thrown into a cauldron of boiling water, resin or oil. This variety was quite humane - the criminal quickly died from painful shock. More sophisticated executioners put the condemned man in a cauldron of cold water, which was heated gradually, or slowly lowered him into boiling water, starting from the feet. The welded leg muscles were coming away from the bones, but the man was still alive.
This execution is also practiced by extremists in the East. According to Saddam Hussein's former bodyguard, he witnessed an acid execution: first, the victim's legs were lowered into a pool filled with a caustic substance, and then they were thrown whole. And in 2016, militants of the banned organization ISIS dissolved 25 people in a cauldron of acid.

Cement boots

This method is well known to many of our readers from gangster films. Indeed, they killed their enemies and traitors using this cruel method during the mafia wars in Chicago. The victim was tied to a chair, then a basin filled with liquid cement was placed under his feet. And when it froze, the person was taken to the nearest body of water and thrown off the boat. Cement boots instantly dragged him to the bottom to feed the fish.

Death flights

In 1976, General Jorge Videla came to power in Argentina. He led the country for only 5 years, but remained in history as one of the most terrible dictators of our time. Among other atrocities of Videla are the so-called “death flights”.

A man who opposed the tyrant’s regime was pumped full of barbiturates and, in an unconscious state, carried on board an airplane, then thrown down - certainly into the water.

We also invite you to read about the most mysterious deaths in history.
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In the electric chair, the ancient world was especially inventive in terms of sophisticated torture and punishment. The types of executions used in the East were especially terrible, and Ancient China distinguished itself in this most of all. It is the Celestial Empire that holds the palm in the invention of executions in the world.

Sadistic executions of ancient China

In ancient times, people in the Celestial Empire could be executed without trial for the most minor sins. Once the cooks were sawed in half just because the rice they cooked did not satisfy the owner. The women, stripped naked, were hung by their arms from rings, and a saw was placed between their legs.

It was impossible to hang on tense arms for a long time, and it was also difficult to sit on a sharp saw for a long time - thus, the women sawed themselves.

In general, women in China could be sawed for any reason.

High-ranking corrupt officials were executed with a terrible execution called “pike bites” or “death by a thousand cuts.” Small pieces of flesh were gradually cut off from the criminal over the course of a year or six months. To prevent bleeding, the wounds were cauterized with a hot iron. In such a situation, suicide seemed to be the highest good, but the executioners kept a vigilant eye on the condemned, not allowing him to die prematurely. Terrible physical suffering was accompanied by moral humiliation.

Suicide is simply a gift of fate, in the case when a piece of flesh is cut off from a person

And today in China it is not considered a great value. A “suitable” person can easily be kidnapped on the street and dismantled for organs. State criminals are subjected to almost medieval torture, and women are castrated using laser beams.

Terrible executions of the Ancient East

The Ancient East invented executions. Here is a rough list of some of them:

1. Punishment by the wall.
2. Crucifixion.
3. Impalement.
4. Torture with a trough.

Brutal executions were also practiced in Ancient Egypt. The method of killing, which was called “punishment by the wall,” consisted in the fact that the criminal was walled up alive, as a result of which he died from suffocation.

Crucifixion was first used in Ancient Phenicia, then the Carthaginians borrowed this method of execution from the Phoenicians. After the Punic Wars, the Romans began to execute people this way. was considered the most despicable - only slaves or hardened criminals died this way. Roman citizens and other people of the noble class were killed with a sword, which was used to cut off the head quickly and painlessly.

At first they impaled people only in Assyria. This type of execution was applied to women who had abortions and to rioters. As a result of the conquests of the Assyrian empire, this type of execution spread throughout the Mediterranean.

The trough execution was one of the most terrible. The body of the condemned man was placed between two troughs, but the head remained outside. The criminal was force-fed by pouring liquid food down his throat. Over time, worms appeared in the feces, which ate the body of the unfortunate man alive.

Muslim extremists of the modern East execute their captives no less brutally. The bloody relay race continues and there is no limit in sight.

Horrible Tortures and Executions of Medieval Europe

European culture was not so creative when it came to torture and execution. execution methods were usually imported from the East. Nevertheless, European justice could hardly be called humane.

The following types of execution were used:

• burn alive at the stake;
• boil alive;
• excoriation;
• bury alive;
• wheeling;
• decapitation;
• hanging;
• cut off ears or hands;
• blindness;
• quartering;
• tearing by horses;
• drowning;
• stoning;
• crucifixion

Burning at the stake was a punishment for heresy, but in England this was the punishment for female infidelity. Counterfeiters were boiled alive in cauldrons of boiling oil or tar. A particularly cruel type of execution was when the convict was first placed in a vat of cold water, and then the water was heated to a boil. The skin was torn off from dangerous state criminals and careless doctors, and they could remove it not only from a living person, but also from a corpse.

For significant theft, children were buried alive, and for petty theft, hands were chopped off. Also, for petty theft or fraud, an ear or ears could be cut off. A repeat offender was already subject to the death penalty. Only noble gentlemen who could not be killed for any reason were blinded. Quartering was used as a punishment for high treason, but only men were executed in this way, and women were burned in this case.

Video about the worst executions in the world

Drowning was a punishment for swearing and cursing. Ripping by horses, stoning and crucifixion were rare forms of justice. The most humane methods of execution were hanging and beheading - the latter survived into modern times in the form of the guillotine.

In modern Europe it is difficult to find even traces of past atrocities, because any type of torture and the death penalty is strictly prohibited. In the vast majority of European countries, the maximum penalty is life imprisonment.

We can only be grateful for the fact that gloomy torture and executions are a thing of the distant past, and in modern times they can only be found in backward countries.