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 16, 2023MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: APEX COURT COMMUTES DEATH PENALTY AND NATURAL-LIFE IMPRISONMENT OF 11 CONVICTED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A total of 11 individuals convicted for drug trafficking became the first batch of inmates to have their death sentence and natural-life imprisonment commuted under the Revision of Sentence of Death and Imprisonment for Natural Life (Temporary Jurisdictio
OCTOBER 31, 2023PennsylvaniaDEATH PENALTYUSA - Pennsylvania. House panel votes to abolish death penalty
OCTOBER 18, 2023Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: CHILD DEFENDANT AT IMMINENT RISK OF EXECUTION
Abdullah al-Derazi is a child defendant at risk of imminent execution in Saudi Arabia, despite repeated claims by Saudi authorities that they have abolished the death penalty for children.
OCTOBER 16, 2023NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: OVER 3,000 PRISONERS ON DEATH ROW AMID CALLS TO ABOLISH CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
Members of the international community on October 10, 2023 urged again Nigeria to abolish the death penalty.
OCTOBER 15, 2023TanzaniaDEATH PENALTYTANZANIA: GOVT CONTEMPLATES ABOLISHING CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
The Tanzanian government is contemplating on coming up with an alternative to capital punishment, after considering views from various stakeholders, majority of them considering it as inhumane in nature.
OCTOBER 12, 2023MalawiDEATH PENALTYMALAWI: GOVT SAYS DEATH PENALTY WILL BE ABOLISHED
Government through the Ministry of Justice has reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating death penalty in the country saying the act is barbaric.
JULY 13, 2023United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA - Federal death penalty ban reintroduced in Congress
JULY 4, 2023MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: LAW TO ABOLISH MANDATORY DEATH PENALTY TAKES EFFECT ON JULY 4
The Abolition of the Mandatory Death Penalty Act 2023 (Act 846) will come into force in Malaysia on July 4, 2023.
JUNE 11, 2023South KoreaDEATH PENALTYSOUTH KOREA: CABINET APPROVES BILL TO REMOVE SUNSET CLAUSE FOR DEATH SENTENCE
The South Korean government on June 5, 2013 approved a bill to remove the sunset clause for the death penalty in a bid to prevent inmates on death row from avoiding execution after 30 years in prison.
APRIL 21, 2023WashingtonDEATH PENALTYUSA - Washington. The state officially abolishes death penalty
- APRIL 3, 2023MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: LOWER HOUSE VOTES TO ABOLISH MANDATORY DEATH PENALTY
The Dewan Rakyat, or lower house, of Malaysia’s Parliament on 3 April 2023 approved legal reforms to abolish the mandatory death penalty for some offences.
- MARCH 30, 2023ZimbabweDEATH PENALTY
ZIMBABWEANS START DEBATE ON ENDING DEATH PENALTY
Zimbabwe’s government has started two weeks of nationwide consultations on whether to abolish capital punishment for people convicted of premeditated murder.
MARCH 29, 2023MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: ‘DON’T ABOLISH MANDATORY DEATH PENALTY’, PROFESSOR MUZAFFAR SAYS
The government should consider retaining the death penalty for serious and heinous crimes, Dr Muzaffar Syah Mallow said on 26 March 2023.
- MARCH 28, 2023MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: BILL TO ABOLISH MANDATORY DEATH PENALTY TABLED FOR FIRST READING
The Abolition of Mandatory Death Penalty Bill 2023 was tabled for first reading in the Dewan Rakyat (Lower House) on 27 March 2023.
- MARCH 20, 2023IranDEATH PENALTY
THE DEATH PENALTY FOR DRUG OFFENCES: GLOBAL OVERVIEW 2022 (HARM REDUCTION INTERNATIONAL)
As of December 2022, Harm Reduction International (HRI) recorded at least 285 executions for drug offences globally during the year, a 118% increase from 2021, and an 850% increase from 2020.
FEBRUARY 12, 2023ZambiaDEATH PENALTYZAMBIA: PRESIDENT HICHILEMA COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCES FOR 390 INMATES TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has commuted 390 death sentences to life imprisonment, six weeks after he abolished capital punishment, a cabinet minister said on 8 February 2023.
JANUARY 23, 2023South SudanDEATH PENALTYSOUTH SUDAN: CABINET UPHOLDS DEATH PENALTY
The Government of South Sudan has said it will not abolish the death penalty and insists it is a deterrent to prevent serious crimes, Africa-Press reported on 22 January 2023.
JANUARY 18, 2023United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA - Biden inaction, mixed signals on death penalty
- DECEMBER 22, 2022MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA MAY ABOLISH MANDATORY DEATH PENALTY IN FEBRUARY, MINISTER SAYS
Mulling a review of the criminal justice system in the country, Malaysia may do away with the mandatory death penalty in the coming months, a minister said on 21 December 2022.
DECEMBER 13, 2022OregonDEATH PENALTYUSA - Oregon. Gov. Kate Brown commuted the sentences of all 17 people on death row
NOVEMBER 9, 2022DEATH PENALTYECPM: 8TH WORLD CONGRESS AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY IN BERLIN FROM 15 TO 18 NOVEMBER 2022
Under the high patronage of Germany and the sponsorship of the Swiss and French governments as well as the European Union, Ensemble contre la peine de mort (ECPM) is organizing, in partnership with the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty (WCADP), th
- NOVEMBER 7, 2022GhanaDEATH PENALTY
GHANA: PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDO WANTS DEATH PENALTY ABOLISHED
President Akufo-Addo has joined the campaign to get the death penalty expunged from the country’s laws.
OCTOBER 24, 2022GhanaDEATH PENALTYGHANA: JUSTICE SAMUEL ASIEDU ADVOCATES ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY
Justice Samuel Kwame Adibu Asiedu, a Justice of the Court of Appeal, nominated to the Supreme Court, has advocated the abolition of the Death Penalty.
- OCTOBER 13, 2022ArmeniaDEATH PENALTY
EU AND COUNCIL OF EUROPE CALL ON ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN TO JOIN PROTOCOL ON BANNING DEATH PENALTY
On the occasion of the European and World Day against the Death Penalty, the European Union (EU) and the Council of Europe firmly reiterated their unequivocal opposition to the death penalty at all times, in all places and in all circumstances.
- OCTOBER 12, 2022ZambiaDEATH PENALTY
ZAMBIA BEGINS PROCESS OF ABOLISHING DEATH PENALTY
Zambia on 10 October 2022 announced that its Cabinet had approved a review of the penal and criminal procedure codes to abolish the death penalty.
OCTOBER 11, 2022TanzaniaDEATH PENALTYTANZANIA: TAMCODE RECOMMENDS ABOLITION OF MANDATORY DEATH PENALTY
The Tanzania Media for Community Development (TAMCODE) has recommended amendment of the Penal Code to give judges the discretion to hand over life imprisonment sentences instead of the death penalty in capital offences.
- OCTOBER 6, 2022MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: PUTRAJAYA TABLES BILLS TO ABOLISH MANDATORY DEATH SENTENCE FOR FIRST READING IN PARLIAMENT
The Malaysian government on October 6, 2022 introduced amendments to existing legislation in Parliament to replace the mandatory death penalty for several criminal offences, in a significant step towards bringing the country closer towards complete abolit
- SEPTEMBER 20, 2022Equatorial GuineaDEATH PENALTY
EQUATORIAL GUINEA ABOLISHES DEATH PENALTY
Equatorial Guinea has abolished the death penalty, state TV announced on 19 September 2022 citing a new law signed by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
SEPTEMBER 15, 2022MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: GOVERNMENT TO INTRODUCE ALTERNATIVES TO DEATH PENALTY
The Malaysian government has decided to replace the mandatory death penalty with other types of punishment for a number of offences, said the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar on 14 September 2022.
- SEPTEMBER 3, 2022Vatican CityDEATH PENALTY
POPE FRANCIS CALLS FOR WORLDWIDE END TO DEATH PENALTY
Pope Francis called for a worldwide end to the death penalty in a video released on 31 August 2022 announcing his prayer intention for September.