The abolition of the death penalty
Archive theme
The association places countries in four states: retentionist, abolitionist in practice — no executions for at least ten years —, abolitionist for ordinary crimes, and abolitionist for all crimes. Moving from one state to the next is almost always slow: first the executions stop, then the law changes.
This page collects the news on abolitions, legislative reforms, constitutional rulings and changes of state. The current legal status of every country is in the database.
Latest news
NOVEMBER 27, 2024United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA - Biden Contemplates Federal Commutation Requests
Clemency to the 40 men currently on federal death row
NOVEMBER 27, 2024Council of EuropeDEATH PENALTYCOUNCIL OF EUROPE - Round table on measures against the trade of goods used for executions
NOVEMBER 19, 2024United NationsDEATH PENALTYUNITED NATIONS - Moratorium on Death Penalty - Draft resolution
NOVEMBER 18, 2024United NationsDEATH PENALTYUNITED NATIONS - Death Penalty Moratorium Draft Resolutions Approved by Third Committee
NOVEMBER 18, 2024European UnionDEATH PENALTYEUROPEAN UNION - Declaration after the draft resolution on the moratorium
NOVEMBER 17, 2024JapanDEATH PENALTYJAPAN RULES OUT ENDING DEATH PENALTY DESPITE PANEL'S CALL FOR REVIEW
The Japanese government on November 14, 2024 ruled out abolishing the death penalty, rejecting calls by domestic legal experts for a review amid international pressure to end executions.
OCTOBER 18, 2024OhioDEATH PENALTYUSA - Ohio. Governor DeWine grants reprieves to 3 death row inmates
Executions for Stanley Adams, John Drummond, and James Hanna postponed to 2028
OCTOBER 10, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Global Campaign to End Executions in Iran Gains Support from 1,500 Dignitaries Across 78 Countries
OCTOBER 10, 2024Trinidad & TobagoDEATH PENALTYCARIBBEAN CHURCH APPEALS FOR MORATORIUM ON DEATH PENALTY
Leela Ramdeen, consultant with the Catholic Commission for Social Justice (CCSJ) in Trinidad & Tobago writes: The World Day against the Death Penalty will be observed on Thursday October 10. The 2024 Theme is: The Death Penalty protects no one. Abolish it
OCTOBER 7, 2024DelawareDEATH PENALTYUSA - Delaware. Delaware Officially Removes Death Penalty from State Statutes
8 Years After State Supreme Court Finds It Unconstitutional
OCTOBER 2, 2024JapanDEATH PENALTYABOLISHING JAPAN'S DEATH PENALTY ‘INAPPROPRIATE’: JUSTICE MINISTER
Newly appointed Justice Minister Hideki Makihara said on October 2, 2024 that abolishing the death penalty in Japan, where there have been no executions in over two years, would be "inappropriate" as the public largely considers it "unavoidable for heinou
SEPTEMBER 18, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Abbas Karimi is scheduled to be hanged on 3 October
Unable to come up with the 1.5-million euro blood money
SEPTEMBER 18, 2024WashingtonDEATH PENALTYUSA - Washington. Washington closes execution chamber at state penitentiary
SEPTEMBER 8, 2024MalawiDEATH PENALTYMALAWI GOVERNMENT DELAYS DEATH PENALTY ABOLITION BILL
The Malawi Ministry of Justice has delayed tabling the bill on the abolition of the death penalty, despite last year’s commitment to present it in parliament this year, Channel Africa reported on August 22, 2024.
AUGUST 27, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 68 Organisations Declare Support for “No Death Penalty Tuesdays”
AUGUST 19, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 43 Human Rights Organisations Against Crackdown in Evin Prison
JUNE 27, 2024DelawareDEATH PENALTYUSA - Delaware. Senate passes abolition of death penalty
HB 70 goes to Governor
- JUNE 18, 2024DelawareDEATH PENALTY
USA - Delaware. House passes bill to eliminate death penalty in Delaware
HB 70
JUNE 10, 2024TanzaniaDEATH PENALTYAFRICAN COURT GIVES TANZANIA SIX MONTHS ULTIMATUM TO SCRAP DEATH PENALTY
The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights has reiterated its longstanding order to Tanzania to revoke the death penalty in line with the continental charter on the right to life, The East African reported on June 6, 2024.
MAY 30, 2024DEATH PENALTYAMNESTY INTERNATIONAL GLOBAL REPORT: DEATH SENTENCES AND EXECUTIONS 2023
Executions soared to their highest number in almost a decade in 2023 with a sharp rise across the Middle East, Amnesty International said today as it released its annual report on the global use of the death penalty.
APRIL 10, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 82 Rights Groups: UNODC Must Stop Complicity in Drug Executions in Iran
Hands off Cain amongst the signatories
APRIL 10, 2024DEATH PENALTYECPM PETITION: TOGETHER, LET’S SAY NO TO THE EXECUTIONS OF PEOPLE SENTENCED TO DEATH IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO!
Ensemble Contre la Peine de Mort addresses a petition to the President of the Republic and Head of State of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisékedi not to allow the resumption of capital executions
APRIL 2, 2024United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA - Trump calls for cop killers to get ‘mandatory’ death sentence
in wake of slain NYPD Detective Jonathan Diller
MARCH 21, 2024DEATH PENALTYRECORD NUMBER OF PEOPLE EXECUTED FOR DRUG OFFENCES IN 2023
At least 467 people were executed for drug offences in 2023, a new record, according to Harm Reduction International (HRI), an NGO that has been tracking the use of the death penalty for drugs since 2007.
- MARCH 20, 2024DelawareDEATH PENALTY
USA - Delaware. Judiciary Committee passed HB 70 to repeal death penalty
MARCH 6, 2024NebraskaDEATH PENALTYUSA - Nebraska. Abolitionist bill fails to advance
LR 17CA
MARCH 5, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - IHR 2023 year report: 834 executions
Hands off Cain counted 883
MARCH 1, 2024United StatesDEATH PENALTYEUROPEAN UNION - Statement on the latest executions in US
FEBRUARY 11, 2024FranceDEATH PENALTYROBERT BADINTER, WHO ABOLISHED DEATH PENALTY IN FRANCE, DIES AT 95
Former French justice minister Robert Badinter, who abolished capital punishment in France in 1981, has died at the age of 95, one of his aides told local media on February 9, 2024.
FEBRUARY 7, 2024ZimbabweDEATH PENALTYZIMBABWE ABOLISHES DEATH PENALTY
Zimbabwean Cabinet on February 6, 2024 approved the abolition of the death penalty and, in its place, endorsed the imposition of lengthy to life jail sentences.