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
- JULY 25, 2007RwandaDEATH PENALTY
RWANDA. LAW ENDING DEATH PENALTY COMES INTO FORCE
a law ending the death penalty in Rwanda, that was approved by the National Assembly in June, officially came into force.
- JULY 10, 2007RwandaDEATH PENALTY
RWANDA. SENATE APPROVES DEATH PENALTY ABOLITION
the Rwandan Senate approved a bill to abolish the death penalty, according to
- JULY 10, 2007ItalyDEATH PENALTY
MORATORIUM. D’ALEMA THANKS SOUTH AFRICA FOR SUPPORT
Italian Foreign Affairs Minister Massimo D'Alema publicly thanked his South African colleague Nkosazama Dlamini Zuma for the African country’s support for the proposed UN Moratorium against capital punishment.
- JULY 9, 2007KenyaDEATH PENALTY
KENYA. CALL FOR ABOLITION AS THOUSANDS AWAIT EXECUTION
politicians from leading parties and prominent human rights activists
- JULY 2, 2007RwandaDEATH PENALTY
RWANDA. SENATORS DISCUSS DEATH PENALTY ABOLITION
the Rwandan Minister of Justice, Tharicisse Karugarama, tabled the
- JUNE 27, 2007KyrgyzstanDEATH PENALTY
KYRGYZSTAN PRESIDENT SIGNS LEGISLATION ENDING CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev signed legislation amending Kyrgyzstan's criminal codes and abolishing the death penalty.
- JUNE 8, 2007RwandaDEATH PENALTY
RWANDA. COUNTRY SCRAPS DEATH PENALTY
Rwanda's parliament voted to abolish the death penalty, a move that should clear the way for
- MAY 31, 2007RwandaDEATH PENALTY
RWANDA TO SCRAP DEATH PENALTY END-JULY
Rwanda said a law abolishing the death penality would come into force at the end of July, six months after
- MAY 24, 2007ItalyDEATH PENALTY
Hands Off Cain announced that Mali has signed the Declaration and is ready to
Hands Off Cain announced that Mali has signed the Declaration and is ready to
- MAY 16, 2007KazakhstanDEATH PENALTY
KAZAKHSTAN SET TO "VIRTUALLY" ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY
at today's joint session of the Kazakhstan parliament's two chambers, President Nursultan Nazarbayev
- MAY 11, 2007UzbekistanDEATH PENALTY
UZBEKISTAN. NO EXECUTIONS SINCE 2005 - MINISTER
Not a single person sentenced to death has been executed in Uzbekistan since 2005, Justice Minister Fozilzhon Otakhonov told Interfax.
- MAY 10, 2007New JerseyDEATH PENALTY
NEW JERSEY: PANEL SEEKS END OF DEATH PENALTY
a State Senate committee passed a bill that would make New Jersey the first state to abolish the death penalty since states began reinstating their capital punishment laws more than three decades ago.
- APRIL 29, 2007United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA. LETHAL INJECTION, REVEALED
the Boston Globe Newspaper published an editorial in which it
- APRIL 18, 2007KenyaDEATH PENALTY
KENYA. NATIONAL COMMISSION CALLS FOR ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY
Parliament should take urgent steps to abolish the death penalty in Kenya. It should freeze all current death sentences and transfer convicts on the death row to life imprisonment, through a Presidential declaration.
- APRIL 14, 2007ItalyDEATH PENALTY
RWANDA. PRESIDENT KAGAME AND FORMER EU ENVOY DISCUSS DEATH PENALTY
the former European Union Special Representative for the Great Lakes Region, Mr
- APRIL 13, 2007ItalyDEATH PENALTY
DEATH PENALTY. D'ALEMA TO PRESENT ITALIAN PROPOSAL FOR ABOLITION TO EU
"The Italian Council of Ministers gave Minister of Foreign Affair Massimo D'Alema the task of presenting the proposal for the abolition of the death penalty and the corresponding moratorium at the next EU Council of General Affairs on April 23rd. This is
- MARCH 29, 2007KazakhstanDEATH PENALTY
CENTRAL ASIAN COUNTRIES NEARING ABOLITION
activists hope the countries of Central Asia will soon abolish capital punishment. Turkmenistan abolished the death penalty in 1999.
- MARCH 28, 2007TunisiaDEATH PENALTY
“the moment to abolish the death penalty in Tunisia has not arrived
“the moment to abolish the death penalty in Tunisia has not arrived
- MARCH 27, 2007New HampshireDEATH PENALTY
the House voted 185-173 in favor of a committee recommendation...
the House voted 185-173 in favor of a committee recommendation...
- MARCH 20, 2007NebraskaDEATH PENALTY
by just one vote, 25-24, a bill to repeal the death penalty carried...
by just one vote, 25-24, a bill to repeal the death penalty carried...
- MARCH 14, 2007BrazilDEATH PENALTY
BRAZIL SEEKS GLOBAL ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY
the global abolition of the death penalty could be achieved through the United Nations, according to the Brazilian Government's proposal to the UN Human Rights Council.
- MARCH 12, 2007ItalyDEATH PENALTY
KAZAKHSTAN. HANDS OFF CAIN AT THE ROUND TABLE ON DEATH PENALTY, MORATORIUM AND INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT
The Round Table “Abolition of Death Penalty, UN World Moratorium and Accession to the International
- MARCH 12, 2007MontanaDEATH PENALTY
in Helena, a bill to abolish the death penalty in Montana...
in Helena, a bill to abolish the death penalty in Montana...
- MARCH 8, 2007TunisiaDEATH PENALTY
TUNISIA. JOURNALISTS PLEA FOR ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY
Tunisian journalists published their plea for the abolition of the death penalty from the country's statute
- MARCH 7, 2007ItalyDEATH PENALTY
ITALIAN SENATE APPROVED FULL ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY FROM ITS CONSTITUTION
the Italian Senate approved a draft law to modify article 27 of the Constitution (226 votes in favour, 12 abstained and no votes contrary). The law is designed to abolish the death penalty also from wartime military laws.
- FEBRUARY 23, 2007MontanaDEATH PENALTY
MONTANA (USA). SENATE VOTES TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY
the Democratic-controlled Senate gave preliminary approval to the abolition of the death penalty in
- FEBRUARY 23, 2007ItalyDEATH PENALTY
MORATORIUM. AL-KALIFA (UN): I WILL WORK TOWARDS CONSENSUS ON ITALY'S INITIATIVE
Sheika Haya Rashed al-Kalifa, president of the UN General Assembly, has confirmed her commitment to ensure Italy's initiative for the universal moratorium on capital punishment is successful. At the end of a
- FEBRUARY 21, 2007MarylandDEATH PENALTY
MARYLAND TO REVOKE DEATH PENALTY?
Governor Martin O'Malley testified in favor of ending the state's death penalty law, saying capital
- FEBRUARY 13, 2007TunisiaDEATH PENALTY
the Tunisian Social-Liberal Party officially asked for the abolition of the death
the Tunisian Social-Liberal Party officially asked for the abolition of the death
- FEBRUARY 12, 2007ItalyDEATH PENALTY
DEATH PENALTY. RUSSIA SIGNS THE DECLARATION ON THE MORATORIUM
Russia has signed the "Declaration of Association" on the death penalty that was presented to the UN by the