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
- JANUARY 1, 2006FijiDEATH PENALTY
Fiji abolished the death penalty for treason and piracy in February 2002
Fiji abolished the death penalty for treason and piracy in February 2002
- DECEMBER 31, 2005TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN. TAIWAN PLANS ON INTODUCING CHINESE STYLE DEATH PENALTY WITH TWO YEARS SUSPENSION, JUSTICE MINISTER
the United Daily News (UDN) quoted Taiwan’s Justice Minister Shih Mao-lin as saying that Taipei was studying the possibility of following China's example of issuing a “death penalty with two years suspension” to give criminals a chance to repent.
- DECEMBER 14, 2005KyrgyzstanDEATH PENALTY
Kyrgyz Ombudsman Tursunbai Bakir Uulu asked President Kurmanbek Bakiyev
Kyrgyz Ombudsman Tursunbai Bakir Uulu asked President Kurmanbek Bakiyev
- NOVEMBER 30, 2005ItalyDEATH PENALTY
1,000TH EXECUTION IN THE U.S. AND CITIES AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY, D’ELIA: LETS NOT FORGET THE SLAUGHTER IN CHINA AND THOSE CONDEMNED TO DEATH IN IRAN, VIETNAM AND NORTH KOREA
Hands Off Cain adhered to the demonstration in Rome on November 30 in front of the United States embassy to mark the 1,000th US execution since the Supreme Court reintroduced the death penalty in 1976.
- NOVEMBER 25, 2005CanadaDEATH PENALTY
CANADA SUPPORTS INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TOWARD ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY
Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew and Minister of Justice Irwin Cotler announced Canada’s accession to a UN treaty that confirms its continued opposition to the death penalty.
- NOVEMBER 24, 2005LibyaDEATH PENALTY
in an interview for Al Jazeera
in an interview for Al Jazeera
- NOVEMBER 16, 2005South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
the General Assembly of Parliament approved the appointments of three new justices...
the General Assembly of Parliament approved the appointments of three new justices to the 13-member Supreme Court.
- NOVEMBER 7, 2005SlovakiaDEATH PENALTY
Slovakia abolished the death penalty for all crimes in 1990.
Slovakia abolished the death penalty for all crimes in 1990.
- NOVEMBER 4, 2005KazakhstanDEATH PENALTY
KAZAKHSTAN. ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY DEPENDENT ON SOCIETY - JUSTICE MINISTER
the death penalty will be abolished in Kazakhstan if an appropriate position is formed in society.
- NOVEMBER 2, 2005LebanonDEATH PENALTY
LEBANON. THE DEATH PENALTY A DISGRACE TO OUR COUNTRY, EX PREMIER HOSS
in Lebanon the death penalty is “not only applied but is unlikely to be abolished anytime soon. It is a disgrace to our country,” declared former Lebanese Prime Minister Silam Hoss in an interview with Aki news agency.
- OCTOBER 29, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. UNION LAW MINISTER IN FAVOUR OF DEATH PENALTY, CALLS FOR DEBATE
the Indian government is yet to take a decision on the abolition of the death penalty and is going by the Supreme Court’s guideline that it be awarded in only in the rarest of rare cases, said Union law minister H R Bhardwaj.
- OCTOBER 26, 2005BelarusDEATH PENALTY
BELARUS. DEATH PENALTY BILL PASSES FIRST READING IN PARLIAMENT
the Belarusian National Assembly's House of Representatives (parliament's lower house) passed the first reading of the amendments to the Penal Code that provide for the temporary use of capital punishment in Belarus.
- OCTOBER 25, 2005GhanaDEATH PENALTY
GHANA. A-G WANTS DEATH PENALTY ABOLISHED
the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice joined other key players in the administration of Ghana’s justice system in a call for the abolition of the death penalty.
- OCTOBER 24, 2005PhilippinesDEATH PENALTY
A new Constitution abolished the death penalty in 1987, but gave Congress the option of restoring it for
A new Constitution abolished the death penalty in 1987, but gave Congress the option of restoring it for "heinous" crimes.
- OCTOBER 24, 2005KenyaDEATH PENALTY
Murder, treason and armed robbery are capital crimes.
Murder, treason and armed robbery are capital crimes.
- OCTOBER 24, 2005TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
The death penalty has been fully abolished by a package of constitutional and legislative amendments.
The death penalty has been fully abolished by a package of constitutional and legislative amendments.
- OCTOBER 20, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. NEW CJI FAVOURS ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY
Chief J ustice of India-designate Justice YK Sabarwal said he favoured abolition of the death penalty. Justice Sabarwal, who was due to take over as CJI on November 1, said as a Supreme Court Judge he favoured the awarding of capital punishment but he wan
- OCTOBER 18, 2005ItalyDEATH PENALTY
NEW YORK. PRESENTATION OF THE DEATH PENALTY WORLDWIDE 2005 REPORT
Hands Off Cain, together with the Transnational Radical Party and the National Association for Criminal Defence Lawyers, presented its 2005 Report - The Death Penalty Worldwide at UN Headquarters in New York.
- OCTOBER 18, 2005RussiaDEATH PENALTY
RUSSIA. DUMA COMMITTEE CHIEF AGAINST DEATH PENALTY IN RUSSIA
State Duma security committee chairman Vladimir Vasiliyev said he supported the idea of abolishing the death penalty in Russia.
- OCTOBER 10, 2005BelarusDEATH PENALTY
BELARUS. MINISTRY AGAINST ABOLITION OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
the full abolition of the death penalty in Belarus in favor of life imprisonment would not be helpful, though the number of death sentences is declining, reporters were told at the corrections department of the Belarusian Interior Ministry.
- OCTOBER 10, 2005BelarusDEATH PENALTY
COUNCIL OF EUROPE. PACE PRESIDENT URGES BELARUS, UZBEKISTAN TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY
Rene van der Linden, president of Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, urged Belarus and Uzbekistan to abolish the death penalty in his public appeal on the occasion of the World Day Against the Death Penalty.
- OCTOBER 10, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. PUDR CALLS FOR ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY IN INDIA
the People’s Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR) called for the abolition of death penalty in India calling it an archaic form of punishment which upheld the ''savage'' norm of an eye-for-an-eye and violated the right to life, a principle on which humane c
- OCTOBER 10, 2005MalawiDEATH PENALTY
EUROPEAN UNION. EU URGES MALAWI TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY
the European Union (EU) urged Malawi to continue its effort to abolish the death sentence saying the fact that the country had not undertaken any execution since 1992 was an important step deserving support.
- OCTOBER 7, 2005LiberiaDEATH PENALTY
Liberian law includes the possibility of the death penalty.
Liberian law includes the possibility of the death penalty.
- SEPTEMBER 26, 2005PolandDEATH PENALTY
POLAND. EUROPEAN OFFICIALS WARN POLAND AGAINST INTRODUCING DEATH PENALTY
European officials said that Poland would be in clear breach of its international commitments if the winners of the parliamentary elections were to reintroduce the death penalty.
- SEPTEMBER 22, 2005MoldovaDEATH PENALTY
MOLDOVA. CONSTITUTIONAL COURT APPROVES BILLS BANNING DEATH PENALTY
the Constitutional Court of Moldova approved two draft laws concerning amendments to Article 24 Paragraph 3 of the constitution and providing for the abolition of the death penalty.
- SEPTEMBER 19, 2005RussiaDEATH PENALTY
RUSSIA. REFERENDUM TO DECIDE DEATH PENALTY ISSUE - GLAZIEV
abolition of the death penalty in Russia should be decided by a referendum, leader of the State Duma's Rodina fraction Sergei Glaziev said.
- SEPTEMBER 9, 2005RussiaDEATH PENALTY
RUSSIA. KOSACHYOV HOPES DUMA WILL OUTLAW CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
it was reported that Konstantin Kosachyov, chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the State Duma, hoped that the Duma would ratify the sixth protocol of the European Convention on Human Rights, which stipulated the abolishment of capital punishment,
- SEPTEMBER 7, 2005TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN. COUNTRY TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY
Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian vowed to the abolish death penalty so that Taiwan could become a country founded on the basis of human rights.
- AUGUST 29, 2005RussiaDEATH PENALTY
RUSSIA. COUNTRY TO FINISH DEATH PENALTY DISCUSSION IN 2006, PARLIAMENTARIAN
Russia plans to finish a national discussion process on abolishing the death penalty by November 2006, Mikhail Margelov, the chairman of the Federation Council's international affairs committee, said.