Taiwan High Court Prosecutors’ Office senior prosecutor Chen Chui (陳追) retired in February after a long career, part of which saw him oversee the executions of convicted criminals.
Chen was in charge of supervising executions between 1988 and 1991, a time when laws were strictly enforced in a bid to deter crime and maintain social stability.
During those three years, Chen oversaw the executions of 122 people. The state-sanctioned killings were carried out with pistols at an execution ground.
“I needed to confirm the identify of the condemned criminal, watch the execution and then make sure they were dead,” Chen told the Taipei Times in an interview. “Although I was in charge of executions, I am personally opposed to the death penalty.”