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
MARCH 24, 2021VirginiaDEATH PENALTYUSA - Virginia. Governor Ralph Northam signed legislation abolishing capital punishment
Ceremony at the Greensville Correctional Center
- MARCH 22, 2021United StatesDEATH PENALTY
Business Executives Launch Campaign Against the Death Penalty
Richard Branson and Arianna Huffington lead the initiative
MARCH 18, 2021WyomingDEATH PENALTYUSA - Wyoming. Senate defeats death penalty repeal bill
SF 150
- MARCH 4, 2021WyomingDEATH PENALTY
USA - Wyoming. Senate Committee Passes Bill to Repeal State’s Death Penalty
SF 150
- FEBRUARY 24, 2021United StatesDEATH PENALTY
U.N. RIGHTS BOSS WELCOMES BIDEN STANCE AGAINST DEATH PENALTY
The U.N. human rights chief on 23 February 2021 welcomed a pledge by U.S. President Joe Biden to work towards abolishing the death penalty in the United States.
FEBRUARY 22, 2021VirginiaDEATH PENALTYUSA - Virginia. The abolition of the death penalty is almost final.
Gov. Ralph Northam is expected to sign
- FEBRUARY 5, 2021VirginiaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Virginia. After Senate, House voted to abolish death penalty
Governor is expected to sign
- JANUARY 18, 2021VirginiaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Virginia. Legislation to abolish death penalty advances in Senate.
SB 1165
JANUARY 14, 2021United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA - Federal. Corey Johnson was executed
lethal injection at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana
- JANUARY 10, 2021KazakhstanDEATH PENALTY
KAZAKHSTAN ABOLISHES DEATH PENALTY
The Republic of Kazakhstan formally abolished the death penalty on 2 January 2021, when President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed off on parliamentary ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, a
JANUARY 9, 2021OhioDEATH PENALTYUSA - Ohio. New law bans death penalty for mentally ill
Governor Mike DeWine signed into law House Bill 136
- DECEMBER 17, 2020DEATH PENALTY
USA - Ohio. House approves abolition of death penalty for severely mentally ill.
The new law now goes to the Governor for ratification
DECEMBER 16, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA - Death Penalty Information Center “Year End Report”
USA - Death Penalty Information Center “Year End Report”
- NOVEMBER 18, 2020United NationsDEATH PENALTY
DEATH PENALTY: MAJORITY OF STATES CONTINUE TO SUPPORT UN CALL FOR MORATORIUM ON EXECUTIONS AT COMMITTEE VOTE
An overwhelming majority of states continued to support a UN call to halt executions on 17 November 2020, when the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) considered a draft resolution on a moratorium on the use of the death penalty.
- NOVEMBER 17, 2020United KingdomDEATH PENALTY
UK - Professor Roger Hood, one of the founders of the international movement for the abolition of the death penalty, passed away.
UK - Professor Roger Hood, one of the founders of the international movement for the abolition of the death penalty, passed away.
OCTOBER 15, 2020ZambiaDEATH PENALTYZAMBIA: HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION CALLS FOR ABOLISHMENT OF DEATH PENALTY
The Zambian government should completely remove the death penalty from its statute books so that the country joins other countries that have abolished it, the country's human rights body said on 13 October 2020.
- OCTOBER 11, 2020Council of EuropeDEATH PENALTY
WORLD DAY AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY: JOINT DECLARATION BY EU HIGH REPRESENTATIVE AND COUNCIL OF EUROPE SECRETARY GENERAL
Today (10 October 2020) on the World and European Day Against the Death Penalty the European Union and the Council of Europe reaffirm their opposition to the use of capital punishment in all circumstances and call for the universal abolition of the death
OCTOBER 3, 2020Vatican CityDEATH PENALTYUSA - Vatican City. New Papal Encyclical Tells Catholics There is ‘No Stepping Back’ From Opposition to Death Penalty.
USA - Vatican City. New Papal Encyclical Tells Catholics There is ‘No Stepping Back’ From Opposition to Death Penalty.
- SEPTEMBER 24, 2020KazakhstanDEATH PENALTY
KAZAKHSTAN ABOLISHES DEATH PENALTY
Kazakhstan has joined the international document to abolish the death penalty, Trend News Agency reported on 24 September 2020 with reference to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
AUGUST 3, 2020PhilippinesDEATH PENALTYPHILIPPINES: CHR WARNS OF VIOLATING INT'L TREATIES BY REINSTATING DEATH PENALTY
An official of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has warned the government of possible sanctions from the international community if it pushes through with the move to restore capital punishment in the country.
JULY 16, 2020SudanDEATH PENALTYSUDAN: DEATH PENALTY REMOVED FOR GAY SEX, APOSTASY
The Sudan’s Sovereign Council on 9 July 2020 approved new laws, and passed a package of amendments to the existing ones; these amendments are to reform the justice system in Sudan.
- JULY 15, 2020ChadDEATH PENALTY
CHAD: DEATH PENALTY COMPLETELY ABOLISHED
Chadian President Idriss Déby on 20 May 2020 promulgated the country's anti-terrorism law, which does not provide for the death penalty for acts of terror.
- JULY 14, 2020DEATH BY PUNISHMENT
DEATH PENALTY: HANDS OFF CAIN, TRUMP RETURNS AMERICA TO THE PAST
The association Hands Off Cain - Spes contra spem thus commented on the news of the resumption of federal executions in America.
JULY 12, 2020SudanDEATH PENALTYSUDAN SCRAPS APOSTASY LAW AND ALCOHOL BAN FOR NON-MUSLIMS
After more than 30 years of Islamist rule, Sudan has outlined wide-reaching reforms including allowing non-Muslims to drink alcohol, and scrapping the apostasy law and public flogging.
- JUNE 24, 2020ItalyDEATH PENALTY
THE SEMINAR ‘TOWARDS THE ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY IN TUNISIA’ BEGINS IN TUNIS
The seminar "Towards the abolition of the death penalty in Tunisia" begins in Tunis on 25 June 2020, which represents the final act of the project supported by the European Union aimed at containing the death penalty in times of "war on terrorism" in the
JUNE 18, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA - Utah. Utah has gone more than a decade without carrying out an execution.
USA - Utah. Utah has gone more than a decade without carrying out an execution.
JUNE 16, 2020IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Political prisoner Narges Mohammadi suffers for witnessing execution.
IRAN - Political prisoner Narges Mohammadi suffers for witnessing execution.
JUNE 10, 2020ZimbabweDEATH PENALTYZIMBABWE: MNANGAGWA REITERATES STANCE ON DEATH PENALTY
President Mnangagwa has reiterated his call for the abolition of capital punishment in Zimbabwe and has noted that a moratorium on executions has been in place since 2005.
- APRIL 29, 2020ChadDEATH PENALTY
CHAD: PARLIAMENT OUTLAWS DEATH PENALTY FOR ACTS OF TERROR
Chad on 28 April 2020 abolished the death penalty for terrorist activities, Justice Minister Djimet Arabi told AFP.
APRIL 29, 2020Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY FOR MINORS COVERS TERROR CONVICTS
The royal order staying the execution of minors who received final death sentences covers all individuals who were under the age of 18 at the time of committing the crime, including those sentenced to death on terrorism charges, Saudi Human Rights Commiss