Italy
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1998
Data card
- Legal status
- Abolitionist
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 0
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 0
- First news item in the archive
- NOVEMBER 12, 1998 · On 12 November 1998, Kurd leader Abdullah Ocalan,...
- News items in the archive
- 697
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
Italy is classified as Abolitionist in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 0 executions in the country, against 0 the year before. The archive holds 697 news items on Italy, from 1998 to today.
Latest news
- OCTOBER 19, 2006ItalyDEATH PENALTY
ITALY. GOVERNMENT SHOULD CONSIDER WILL OF PARLIAMENT, CHAMBER PRESIDENT BERTINOTTI
“I consider as very important the unanimous position taken by the Foreign Commission of the Chamber of Deputies regarding the UN moratorium on capital executions. It is the second time in two and a half months that the Lower House has taken such a stance.
- OCTOBER 19, 2006ItalyDEATH PENALTY
ITALY. RESOLUTION FOR UN MORATORIUM APPROVED AT LOWER HOUSE
the Foreign Commission of Italy’s Lower House approved a resolution for a UN moratorium on capital executions, despite government opposition.
- OCTOBER 19, 2006ItalyDEATH PENALTY
ITALY. HANDS OFF CAIN REPLIES TO UNDERSECRETARY VERNETTI
Elisabetta Zamparutti, responsible for Hands Off Cain’s UN based initiatives, replies to Undersecretary Vernetti’s comments defining as “adventurous” the presentation of a pro-moratorium resolution at the ongoing UN General Assembly.
- OCTOBER 10, 2006ItalyDEATH PENALTY
BRUSSELS. EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARIANS BACK UN MORATORIUM
a group of European Parliamentarians sent a letter to the European Council and to EU Ministers asking they support a moratorium on executions at the UN General Assembly.
- OCTOBER 10, 2006ItalyDEATH PENALTY
ITALY. DEATH PENALTY ABOLISHED FROM THE CONSTITUTION IN FIRST READING
the Chamber of Deputies approved the first reading of the law repealing all references to the death penalty in Italy’s Constitution.
- OCTOBER 10, 2006ItalyDEATH PENALTY
ITALY. RESOLUTION FOR UN MORATORIUM DEPOSITED AT CHAMBER
a resolution was deposited at the Chamber of Deputies’ Foreign Commission asking the government to “fully and immediately put into action” the motion established in Parliament last July 27 to present at the ongoing UN General Assembly a resolution for a U
- OCTOBER 9, 2006ItalyDEATH PENALTY
ITALIAN GOVERNMENT NOT RESPECTING CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES, HANDS OFF CAIN
the government should commit itself to presenting a resolution for a moratorium on executions at the ongoing UN General Assembly, even without unanimous support from the European Union. At a press conference held in Rome, Hands Off Cain appealed to the It
- SEPTEMBER 25, 2006IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
ITALY-INDONESIA. HANDS OFF CAIN ADHERES TO CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY VIGIL
Hands Off Cain announced it would participate in today’s vigil, promoted by Christian Democratic party leader Pierferdinando Casini, outside the Indonesian embassy in Rome.
- SEPTEMBER 20, 2006IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
ITALY-INDONESIA. D'ALEMA TO WIRAJUDA: STOP EXECUTION OF CHRISTIANS
Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema made "a strong appeal" to his Indonesian counterpart Hassan Wirajuda to make Jakarta authorities stop the execution of the three Christians sentenced to death in Poso.
- SEPTEMBER 18, 2006ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA. HUMAN RIGHTS TALKS HAVE BEGUN, ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER
“We have commenced a structured dialogue with China on human rights issues,” stated Italy’s Prime Minister Romano Prodi after meeting his Chinese counterpart Wen Jabao in Beijing. “Dialogue is an important instrument for strengthening the preservation of
- SEPTEMBER 18, 2006ChinaDEATH PENALTY
ITALY-CHINA. DEATH PENALTY ISSUE RAISED
“Yesterday and today, we brought up the issue of the death penalty with various members of the government of the People's Republic of China, hoping for a commitment in the reduction of crimes for which it is applicable,” stated Undersecretary for Foreign
- SEPTEMBER 8, 2006ItalyDEATH PENALTY
HANDS OFF CAIN: THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT SHOULD WORK AT THE UN FOR A UNIVERSAL MORATORIUM ON EXECUTIONS
“Will the death penalty be among the main issues raised by the Italian government at the UN General Assembly?”.
- SEPTEMBER 7, 2006ChinaDEATH PENALTY
ITALY. GOVERNMENT SHOULD RAISE HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES WITH CHINA, D’ELIA
Sergio D’Elia, Secretary of Hands Off Cain and MP for the Rose in the Fist Party, made the following declaration:
- JULY 27, 2006ItalyDEATH PENALTY
ITALY. GOVERNMENT FOR A UN MORATORIUM ON CAPITAL EXECUTIONS
the Chamber of Deputies unanimously approved the motion presented by Sergio D’Elia, Secretary of Hands Off Cain and MP for the Rosa nel Pugno party, entrusting the government to present the resolution for a moratorium on capital executions at the next UN
- JULY 21, 2006ItalyDEATH PENALTY
ITALY. PRESENTATION OF “THE DEATH PENALTY WORLDWIDE 2006 REPORT”
Hands Off Cain presented the 2006 edition of the annual Hands Off Cain Report: “The Death Penalty Worldwide”. The worldwide trend towards abolition, underway for at least a decade, was again confirmed in 2005 and the first half of 2006.
- JULY 21, 2006ItalyDEATH PENALTY
ITALY. GOVERNMENT WILL BACK UN MORATORIUM ON EXECUTIONS
“If I had to choose a parameter to show man’s progress towards a more just society, it would have to be that of the death penalty,” stated President of the Senate of the Italian Republic Franco Marini, participating at the presentation of Hands Off Cain’s
- JULY 12, 2006North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
ITALY. 'PROMOTE HUMAN RIGHTS' IN NORTH KOREA CONFERENCE
the international conference “Promoting human rights and religious freedom in North Korea: where do we go from here?”, organised by Freedom House together with the Transnational Radical Party, was held in Rome.
- JUNE 27, 2006ItalyDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ. SAVING SADDAM FROM EXECUTION IS OPPORTUNITY FOR ITALY FOLLOWING DECISION TO WITHDRAW TROOPS, ROSE IN THE FIST
“What is the Italian government’s intention regarding the offer made by Marco Pannella for a special appointment to save Saddam from execution, and with Saddam’s life, the life of the rights and the civility which he massacred during 50 years of bloody ru
- JUNE 25, 2006ItalyDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ. GIVE ME THE APPOINTMENT TO SAVE SADDAM AND HIS EVENTUAL EXECUTIONERS, PANNELLA
Marco Pannella formally asked Italy’s government to be appointed with the objective of saving Saddam Hussein from the death penalty.
- JUNE 19, 2006ItalyDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ. HANDS OFF CAIN, ''HANDS OFF SADDAM''
“Our Hands Off Cain is also valid for Saddam: thus, ‘hands off Saddam’, which does not equate to non-punishment, but physical wellbeing and human dignity”, stated Secretary and Treasurer of Hands Off Cain Sergio D’Elia and Elisabetta Zamparutti in comment
- JUNE 19, 2006ItalyDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ. ‘NO TO THE DEATH PENALTY FOR SADDAM HUSSEIN’, CAPPATO
“The request put forward by prosecutors to sentence Saddam Hussein to death will not bring justice to the genocides, torture and to the atrocious crimes against the Iraqi population committed by the former Baghdad strongman”.
- JUNE 14, 2006ItalyDEATH PENALTY
ITALY. HANDS OFF CAIN WELCOMES FOREIGN MINISTER’S COMMITMENT IN ABOLISHMENT OF DEATH PENALTY
Hands Off Cain appreciates the announcement made today by Italy’s Foreign Minister Massimo D’Alema who, whilst expounding the guidelines for Italy’s foreign policy, reaffirmed Italy’s commitments for the abolition of the death penalty worldwide.
- JUNE 12, 2006ItalyDEATH PENALTY
HANDS OFF CAIN: MYTH SURROUNDING HUMANENESS OF LETHAL INJECTION CRACKING, SERGIO D’ELIA
following the US Supreme Court’s decision to allow inmates to challenge lethal injection, Secretary of Hands Off Cain, Sergio D’Elia, declared: “Once again, following the abolition of the death penalty for those with mental retardation, for minors and th
- JUNE 7, 2006ItalyDEATH PENALTY
HANDS OFF CAIN. HOC WELCOMES THE ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY IN THE PHILIPPINES
Hands Off Cain welcomes the news that Philippine law makers voted to abolish the death penalty.
- MAY 30, 2006ItalyDEATH PENALTY
KAZAKHSTAN. HOC MEETS WITH OPPOSITION, DISCUSSES UN MORATORIUM ON EXECUTIONS
Hands Off Cain met with two Kazakh opposition leaders during its visit to the country: Amirzahan Kosanov, Secretary of Democratic Choice of Kazakistan and the party’s founder Galymzhan Zahikianov.
- MAY 29, 2006ItalyDEATH PENALTY
KAZAKHSTAN. ‘FROM MORATORIUM TO THE ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY’
the seminar entitled “Kazakhstan from the Moratorium on Death Penalty Toward the Adoption of the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR” took place in the country’s capital Almaty.
- MAY 26, 2006ItalyDEATH PENALTY
KAZAKHSTAN. HANDS OFF CAIN WILL ATTEND THE MEETING ON THE ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY
experts from 8 countries will convene in Almaty on Monday, May 29, to attend the Coordination meeting of NGOs “Kazakhstan from the Moratorium on Death Penalty Toward the Adoption of the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR”.
- MAY 23, 2006ItalyDEATH PENALTY
ITALY. HANDS OFF CAIN IN SUPPORT OF PRODI’S COMMITMENT FOR A MORATORIUM ON EXECUTIONS AT THE NEXT UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Hands Off Cain’s leaders, Sergio D’Elia and Elisabetta Zamparutti, expressed their full appreciation for the statement made by newly elected Prime Minister Romano Prodi in favour of a universal moratorium on executions.
- MAY 10, 2006ItalyDEATH PENALTY
HOC: NEW UN COUNCIL RISKS LOOSING CREDIBILITY
on the election of the new Human Rights Council at the United Nations, Hands Off Cain Treasurer Elisabetta Zamparutti stated: “The presence of totalitarian regimes such as China, Saudi Arabia and Cuba amongst the nations elected as members of the new Huma
- MARCH 29, 2006ItalyDEATH PENALTY
AFGHANISTAN. CHRISTIAN CONVERT GRANTED ASYLUM IN ITALY
Abdur Rahman, an Afghan Christian convert who had faced the death penalty for abandoning Islam, arrived in Italy and was granted asylum.