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Public execution
Capital punishment carried out in public view / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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A public execution is a form of capital punishment which "members of the general public may voluntarily attend."[1] This definition excludes the presence of only a small number of witnesses called upon to assure executive accountability.[2] The purpose of such displays has historically been to deter individuals from defying laws or authorities. Attendance at such events was historically encouraged and sometimes even mandatory.
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While today most countries regard public executions with distaste, they have been practiced at some point in history nearly everywhere.[3] At many points in the past, public executions were preferred to executions behind closed doors because of their capacity for deterrence.[4] However, the actual efficacy of this form of terror is disputed.[5] They also allowed the convicted the opportunity to make a final speech, gave the state the chance to display its power in front of those who fell under its jurisdiction, and granted the public what was considered to be a great spectacle.[6] Public executions also permitted the state to project its superiority over political opponents.[6][4]