ISTANBUL 

Taiwan executed a death row inmate Thursday, marking the first execution since President Lai Ching-te assumed office last year.

The Justice Ministry announced that Justice Minister Cheng Ming-chien had signed the execution order.

The execution was carried out Thursday night by a firing squad at the Taipei Detention Center.

The inmate, 32-year-old Huang Lin-kai, was sentenced to death in 2017 for the rape and murder of his ex-girlfriend and the murder of her mother on Oct. 1, 2013 in New Taipei's Sanchong District.

At the time of the crime, Huang was an active-duty soldier and admitted during his trial that he killed the victims out of frustration after his former girlfriend demanded repayment of a debt.

The execution was Taiwan's first since April 1, 2020 and comes as 36 inmates are on death row.

Under President Lai’s predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen, two death row inmates were executed.

In contrast, 33 inmates were executed during the 2008-2016 administration of President Ma Ying-jeou.

Taiwan’s Constitutional Court ruled last year that the death penalty remains constitutional but restricted its application to only "the most serious" premeditated murders or crimes resulting in death, significantly narrowing its use.

Reactions to the execution were mixed.

The National Human Rights Commission, which advocates for abolishing capital punishment, expressed deep regret over the ministry’s decision.

In contrast, the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party supported the execution, saying that enforcing the death penalty is the government's duty to uphold judicial fairness and deliver justice to victims and their families.