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 19, 2012ItalyDEATH PENALTYUNITED NATIONS: NEW RESOLUTION PRO MORATORIUM VOTED BY A RECORD NUMBER OF 110 COUNTRIES
The UN General Assembly’s Third Committee in New York adopted a new resolution
NOVEMBER 14, 2012SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: AMENDMENTS TO PENAL CODE PASSED IN PARLIAMENT
In Singapore, the mandatory death penalty will no longer be applied to murder cases where
NOVEMBER 11, 2012TürkiyeDEATH PENALTYTURKEY: ANKARA COULD BRING BACK DEATH PENALTY
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara would consider bringing back capital punishment in terror related crimes, a decade after it abolished the practice.
- NOVEMBER 7, 2012CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - California. California Retains Death Penalty by Narrow Margin
USA - California. California Retains Death Penalty by Narrow Margin
- NOVEMBER 6, 2012CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - California. Gov. Jerry Brown this morning said he voted to repeal the death penalty
USA - California. Gov. Jerry Brown this morning said he voted to repeal the death penalty
OCTOBER 29, 2012NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: AFRICAN COMMISION WANTS FG TO STOP HANGING OF EDO DEATH ROW INMATES
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, ACHPR, has called on the Federal Government
- OCTOBER 26, 2012CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - California. New Poll Shows Dramatic Jump in Support of Repealing Death Penalty.
USA - California. New Poll Shows Dramatic Jump in Support of Repealing Death Penalty.
OCTOBER 26, 2012ItalyDEATH PENALTYCENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: GOVERNMENT ADOPTS BILL ABOLITIONIST ON THE EVE OF THE MISSION OF HANDS OFF CAIN
On the first day of the mission of the Radical Party delegation composed of the Secretary of Hands Off Cain Sergio D`Elia and MPs Marco Perduca and Elizabeth Zamparutti (Non Violent Radical Party) in Bangui in the Central African Republic, the Radicals we
OCTOBER 26, 2012ItalyDEATH PENALTYDEATH PENALTY: THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC READY TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE UN MORATORIUM AND ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY
The delegation of the Radical Party and Hands Off Cain today ended its mission in the Central African Republic meeting with the Prime Minister Faustin-Archange Touadera.
OCTOBER 26, 2012CaliforniaDEATH PENALTYCALIFORNIA: NEW POLL SHOWS DRAMATIC JUMP IN SUPPORT OF REPEALING DEATH PENALTY
A new Los Angeles Times poll of registered voters in California showed a dramatic increase in
- OCTOBER 17, 2012KentuckyDEATH PENALTY
USA - Kentucky. The Commission on Human Rights unanimously passed a resolution in favor of ending the death penalty.
USA - Kentucky. The Commission on Human Rights unanimously passed a resolution in favor of ending the death penalty.
- OCTOBER 10, 2012FranceDEATH PENALTY
six countries joined forces to call for the
six countries joined forces to call for the "complete abolition" of the death penalty worldwide.
OCTOBER 10, 2012ItalyDEATH PENALTYWORLD DAY AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY: HANDS OFF CAIN IN FREETOWN TO DELIVER THE PRIZE ‘ABOLITIONIST OF THE YEAR 2012’ TO THE PRESIDENT KOROMA
during a ceremony at the Palace State House in Freetown in Sierra Leone, the seat of the Presidency of the Republic, a delegation of Hands Off Cain and the Nonviolent Radical Party Transnational and Transparty (NRPTT), composed of the Secretary of HOC, Se
OCTOBER 8, 2012Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTYDEATH PENALTY: MISSION OF THE RADICAL PARTY IN SIERRA LEONE
Today begins a four days mission of Hands Off Cain and the Radical Party in Sierra Leone. The mission is aimed to obtain a legal moratorium or the abolition of the death penalty in the country, and the support of the African country to the Resolution of
- SEPTEMBER 28, 2012JapanDEATH PENALTY
the European Union condemned two executions in Japan
the European Union condemned two executions in Japan
- SEPTEMBER 27, 2012Puerto RicoDEATH PENALTY
a jury in abolitionist Puerto Rico rejected the death penalty in a US federal trial.
a jury in abolitionist Puerto Rico rejected the death penalty in a US federal trial.
SEPTEMBER 27, 2012JapanDEATH PENALTYJAPAN: 2 DEATH ROW INMATES HANGED
Two death row inmates in Japan were hanged, Kyodo News reported, quoting Justice Minister Makoto Tai. The hangings brought to seven the number of death row inmates executed during the regime of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda.
- SEPTEMBER 24, 2012South SudanDEATH PENALTY
Agenzia Fides reported that the Comboni Missionaries have launched a petition
Agenzia Fides reported that the Comboni Missionaries have launched a petition
SEPTEMBER 24, 2012MadagascarDEATH PENALTYMADAGASCAR SCRAPS CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
On the sidelines of the ongoing 67th UN General Assembly in New York, Madagascar President
SEPTEMBER 21, 2012South SudanDEATH PENALTYS. SUDAN: ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY IS A ‘GRADUAL’ APPROACH
The Chairperson of South Sudan Human Rights Commission (SSHRC) warned against
SEPTEMBER 11, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTYAMERICAN SAMOA: GOVERNOR MOVES TO REPEAL DEATH PENALTY
American Samoa's governor wants to get rid of the death penalty in the U.S. territory.
AUGUST 7, 2012PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: SC MOVED AGAINST DEATH PENALTY LAW
In Pakistan, an application on behalf of the Watan Party was moved in the Supreme
AUGUST 7, 2012GuyanaDEATH PENALTYCARIBBEAN COUNTRIES URGED TO IMPOSE MORATORIUM ON DEATH PENALTY
The Inter American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has called on several Caribbean
- AUGUST 3, 2012JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: TWO KILLERS HANGED, IN TOKYO AND OSAKA
Two death-row inmates were hanged in Tokyo and Osaka, in the second round of executions
AUGUST 3, 2012DEATH PENALTYHOC PRO MORATORIUM CAMPAIGN OUTLOOK
In December 2012, the General Assembly will vote a new resolution in favor of a moratorium
JULY 14, 2012MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA WEIGHS SPARING DRUG MULES THE GALLOWS
In Malaysia, the Malay Mail reported the Attorney-General was considering
JULY 13, 2012GuyanaDEATH PENALTYGUYANA: SAME SEX DECRIMINALISATION, ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY AND CORPORAL PUNISHMENT FOR PARLIAMENT - GOV'T
In Guyana, the government has decided to take the ticklish issues of the abolition of the death penalty
JULY 10, 2012GhanaDEATH PENALTYGHANA: GOVERNMENT ACCEPTS THE RECOMMENDATION TO ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY
the Government of Ghana, among many others, has also accepted the recommendation of the Constitution Review Commission that the death penalty in article 13 of the Constitution be completely abolished and that the penalty be replaced with imprisonment for
JULY 10, 2012MoroccoDEATH PENALTYMOROCCO: MOROCCAN COALITION AND PAM PARTY FOR THE ABOLITION IMMEDIATELY
the President of "Moroccan Coalition against the Death Penalty", Abderrahim El Jamai, has asked the government to honor its international commitments and sponsor the Resolution on moratorium on the use of the death penalty, which will be put to a vote of
JULY 5, 2012BeninDEATH PENALTYBENIN: ACCESSION TO THE SECOND OPTIONAL PROTOCOL AIMING AT THE ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY
with the deposit of its instrument of accession, Benin has become part of the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), aiming at the abolition of the death penalty.