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
- 712
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 712 news items on Italy, from 1998 to today.
Italy abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes in the Constitution of 1948, removed it from the military penal code of war in 1994 and, in 2007, amended article 27 of the Constitution to delete the last reference to it. Since then it has supported a universal moratorium in international forums.
The Italian news in this archive concerns above all the association's other front: conditions inside places of detention, meaning overcrowding, suicides, access to care, life imprisonment without parole and alternative measures, together with the prison visits the association carries out and publishes reports on.
Latest news
OCTOBER 20, 2009ItalyDEATH PENALTYITALY-BELARUS: RADICALS- DEATH SENTENCE TEST CASE OF THE ‘GOOD RELATIONS’ BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES
together with other elected Radical parliamentarians from the Democratic Party list, Elisabetta Zamparutti presented an urgent parliamentary question to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs regarding the case of Vasil Yuzepchuk.
OCTOBER 10, 2009IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: D’ELIA (RADICALS)- DEATH PENALTY ALSO RESULT OF POLITICS OF APPEASEMENT
"As usual, the Mullah’s regime celebrated the world day against the death penalty in a deadly manner,"
AUGUST 24, 2009ItalyDEATH PENALTYITALY-LIBYA: ITALIAN 'FRECCE TRICOLORI' CELEBRATE DICTATORSHIP - D'ELIA
'The economic cost of flying the Italian “Frecce Tricolore” in Libya may be ridiculous, but the political cost
JULY 29, 2009ItalyDEATH PENALTYDEATH PENALTY: “HANDS OFF CAIN” CONTINUES AROUND THE WORLD TOWARDS THE ABOLITION OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
the positive evolution around the world over the last ten years towards the abolition of
JULY 29, 2009ItalyDEATH PENALTY“ABOLITIONIST OF THE YEAR 2009”: NAPOLITANO- APPLAUSE FOR NEW MEXICO GOVERNOR AND PARLIAMENTARIAN, PRIZE WINNERS
“Italy has always been first in line against the death penalty” and it is “an obligation to continue to fight for the inviolability of life and against the culture of death.” This was the warning of the President of the Republic, Giorgio Napolitano, agai
JULY 1, 2009ItalyDEATH PENALTYDEATH PENALTY: ITALIAN RESOLUTION APPROVED BY ANNUAL OSCE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY
the Resolution for the moratorium on capital executions and for the abolition of the
JUNE 27, 2009SyriaDEATH PENALTYITALY-SYRIA: AL MOLKY EXPULSION, “THEY ARE SENDING ME TO MY DEATH”
Maged Al Molky, the captain of the Palestinian commandos that hijacked the Achille Lauro in 1985 and killed an American citizen, was expelled from Italy and sent to Syria where he risks being sentenced to death.
- JUNE 16, 2009ItalyDEATH PENALTY
HOC: EUROPE CONDESCENDINGLY ALLOWS IRANIAN REGIME’S BRUTALITY
there were at least 346 executions carried out in Iran in 2008 and at least 200 have already taken place in 2009. These figures come from the dossier 'Iran death penalty and not only' that will be presented by Hands Off Cain at the Radical Party headquart
- JUNE 14, 2009Congo - KinshasaDEATH PENALTY
HANDS OFF CAIN: POSITIVE INITIATIVE IN THE DRC
the seminar that followed the June 10th Conference in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo on the abolition of capital punishment has ended. The seminar topic was communication regarding the death penalty.
JUNE 11, 2009Congo - KinshasaDEATH PENALTYDEATH PENALTY: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO STARTS TOWARDS ABOLITION WITH A LEGAL MORATORIUM ON EXECUTIONS
Hands Off Cain organised a conference in Kinshasa against the death penalty in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that was sponsorsed by the Congolese National Assembly President and Senate President, with the contribution of the Minister of Foreign A
MAY 25, 2009ItalyDEATH PENALTYDEATH PENALTY: SCOTTI- ITALY WORKS TOWARDS NEW UN RESOLUTION
‘Italy and other countries are working towards a new resolution against the death
MAY 20, 2009ItalyDEATH PENALTYIRAN: ZAMPARUTTI- CANCELLING VISIT IS THE MINIMUM FRATTINI COULD DO
"Cancelling his visit to Iran is the minimum that Frattini could and should do,” Elisabetta Zamparutti, Radical Deputy and Hands Off Cain director, said.
- MAY 3, 2009ItalyDEATH PENALTY
DELARA DARABI: D’ELIA- MULLAH’S BRUTALITY TOLERATED BY EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS
following the execution of Delara Darabi in Iran, Hands Off Cain secretary Sergio
- APRIL 15, 2009ItalyDEATH PENALTY
USA - New Mexico / Italy / Vatican: Governor Bill Richardson met Pope Benedict today before commemorating New Mexico's repeal of the death penalty. then he met Rome's Mayor, Gianni Alemanno
USA - New Mexico / Italy / Vatican: Governor Bill Richardson met Pope Benedict today before commemorating New Mexico's repeal of the death penalty. then he met Rome's Mayor, Gianni Alemanno
APRIL 8, 2009ItalyDEATH PENALTYRADICALS: INTERROGATION TO THE GOVERNMENT ON 128 IRAQIS AT RISK OF EXECUTION
the Radical parliamentarians joining the Democratic Party (PD), the first signatory being
- APRIL 3, 2009Congo - KinshasaDEATH PENALTY
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: OLIVIERO TOSCANI WORKS ON CAMPAIGN TO RAISE AWARENESS ON THE DEATH PENALTY
Oliviero Toscani will contribute an African version of the famous 'We, on the death
MARCH 3, 2009ItalyDEATH PENALTYITALY: PROTOCOL ABOLISHING DEATH PENALTY IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES RATIFIED
Italy ratified Protocol 13 to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental
MARCH 2, 2009IraqDEATH PENALTYPANNELLA WANTS AZIZ'S ACCOMPLICES TO BE SPARED AS WELL
“We acknowledged that intervening and preventing the state assassination in Iraq of Tareq Aziz, an official
FEBRUARY 12, 2009IranDEATH PENALTYUNITED KINGDOM: RADICALS- REFUGEE STATUS OF IRANIAN LESBIAN RECOGNISED
English authorities recognised the political refugee status of Iranian lesbian Pegah Emambakhsh, the Radical Association Certi Diritti said.
JANUARY 26, 2009ItalyDEATH PENALTYEU, IRAN: D'ELIA AND ZAMPARUTTI (HANDS OFF CAIN), VICTORY OF RIGHTS AGAINST THE REAL POLITIK
"It is a victory for the rule of law in Europe and a defeat for the Mullah's regime, that for too long has successfully exerted its political strength and blackmail, and to which Europe has too often submitted," Sergio D'Elia and Elisabetta Zamparutti, Se
- JANUARY 1, 2009ItalyDEATH PENALTY
Italy became totally abolitionist in 1994, when the death penalty was abolished from the Military Codes.
Italy became totally abolitionist in 1994, when the death penalty was abolished from the Military Codes.
- DECEMBER 29, 2008ItalyDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ: HANDS OFF CAIN- DON'T DEPORT THE ASHRAF IRANIAN REFUGEES
Hands Off Cain secretary Sergio D’Elia sent Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki an appeal saying he was
DECEMBER 18, 2008ItalyDEATH PENALTYDEATH PENALTY: UN APPROVES NEW PRO MORATORIUM RESOLUTION
the United Nations General Assembly approved the resolution for the moratorium on the death penalty for the second consecutive year, with 106 in favour, 46 against and 34 abstentions.
DECEMBER 1, 2008Vatican CityDEATH PENALTYGAY: RADICALS- VATICAN OPPOSITION TO FRENCH REQUEST CONDONES THOSE WHO DISCRIMINATE
“The opposition of the Apostolic nuncio to the proposed statement is equivalent to condoning those who
- NOVEMBER 30, 2008ItalyDEATH PENALTY
ITALY: WORLD CITIES CALL FOR END TO DEATH PENALTY
more than 900 cities around the world celebrated the 'World Day of Cities for Life Against the Death Penalty'.
OCTOBER 23, 2008IranDEATH PENALTYDEATH PENALTY. HANDS OFF CAIN- IRAN SECOND IN GLOBAL EXECUTIONS
the Hands Off Cain association awarded a sad title to Iran today. As in 2007, Iran comes second in the number of global death sentences carried out and is joined by China and Saudi Arabia on the podium of the three highest users of capital punishment.
OCTOBER 11, 2008IraqDEATH PENALTYDEATH PENALTY. PANNELLA- DON'T FORGET TAREK AZIZ
Radical leader Marco Pannella held a press conference with lawyer Mario Lana at Montecitorio regarding Tarek Aziz, Saddam Hussein's ex Foreign Affairs Minister. Aziz has been detained in Iraq since 2003 and is at risk of being sentenced to death. Lana met
- OCTOBER 10, 2008ItalyDEATH PENALTY
DEATH PENALTY. HANDS OFF CAIN PRESENTS DOSSIER
For the European Day Against Capital Punishment, Hands Off Cain presented a dossier entitled "The death penalty around the world - THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTS OF THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF 2008". The global trend towards the abolition of the death penalty cont
OCTOBER 10, 2008ItalyDEATH PENALTYITALIAN CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES. CELEBRATION: EUROPEAN DAY AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY
"Today is an important occasion to remember the struggle at the United Nations for the adoption of the resolution for the Moratorium on capital punishment. We also renew the commitment by institutions and civil society to not lower our guard," Giorgio Nap
- OCTOBER 9, 2008ItalyDEATH PENALTY
ITALY. SENATE OK'S RATIFICATION OF PROTOCOL 13
the Senate approved the draft law for ratifying Protocol 13 of the European Convention