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
- AUGUST 18, 2005MoldovaDEATH PENALTY
MOLDOVA. MOLDOVA ABOLISHES DEATH PENALTY
the Moldovan government approved amendments to clause 24 of the republic's constitution aimed at abolishing the death penalty, Moldova's Deputy Justice Minister Nicolae Yeshanu said.
- AUGUST 16, 2005KenyaDEATH PENALTY
KENYA. FRESH CALLS TO ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY
Amnesty International rekindled calls for the abolition of the death penalty in Kenya.
- AUGUST 4, 2005Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTY
SIERRA LEONE. GOVERNMENT REJECTS THE ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY
the government of Sierra Leone has published on late June proposals for implementing the recommendations of the country's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). In one statement that pointedly contradicts the TRC recommendations, the government's 17-p
- AUGUST 3, 2005JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN. JFBA DELEGATION TO EUROPE TO STUDY IMPACT OF DEATH PENALTY ABOLITION
the Japan Federation of Bar Associations said it would send a delegation to Germany and Britain later in the month to study how abolition of capital punishment had affected the two countries.
- AUGUST 1, 2005UzbekistanDEATH PENALTY
UZBEKISTAN WILL ANNUL CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN 2008
President Islam Karimov has signed a decree cancelling the death penalty in Uzbekistan.
- JULY 26, 2005ItalyDEATH PENALTY
TURIN, ITALY. PRESENTATION OF “THE DEATH PENALTY WORLDWIDE 2005 REPORT”
Hands Off Cain, together with the ‘Adelaide Aglietta’ association presented the 2005 edition of the annual Hands Off Cain Report: “The Death Penalty Worldwide”.
- JULY 11, 2005BelarusDEATH PENALTY
BELARUS. DEATH PENALTY MIGHT BE ANNULLED VIA A NATIONAL REFERENDUM
Belarussian deputy presidential chief of staff Natalya Petkevich said the death sentence might be annulled in Belarus via a national referendum.
- JULY 1, 2005UzbekistanDEATH PENALTY
UZBEKISTAN. COUNTRY TO KEEP DEATH PENALTY FOR AT LEAST 2 YEARS
Uzbekistan is working to abolish the death penalty, but it will be "no less than two or three years" before the country scraps capital punishment, Justice Minister Buritosh Mustafayev said.
- JUNE 28, 2005Vatican CityDEATH PENALTY
NEW CATECHISM. D’ELIA SAYS CATHOLIC CHURCH’S JUSTICIALISM STILL IN EVIDENCE
on the Compendiun of New Catechism to be presented tomorrow, HOC General Secretary Sergio D’Elia declared: “We have never been fundamentalist about death penalty abolition – in fact we campaign for a UN moratorium on capital executions with a view to abo
- JUNE 27, 2005South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA. DEATH PENALTY MORE HUMANE THAN LIFE IMPRISONMENT, JUSTICE MINISTRY
the Justice Ministry sent an official letter to the National Assembly opposing lawmakers' moves to abolish death penalty in South Korea.
- JUNE 24, 2005ItalyDEATH PENALTY
HANDS OFF CAIN’S 2005 REPORT: MORE ABOLITIONIST STATES AND FEWER EXECUTIONS WORLDWIDE
The Death Penalty Worldwide 2005 Report illustrates a continued positive evolution towards abolition globally. HOC’s annual report, edited by Elisabetta Zamparutti, shows 8 countries dropped the death penalty in 2004, bringing up to 138 the total of count
- JUNE 15, 2005SyriaDEATH PENALTY
SYRIA. HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS ASK FOR DEMOCRATIC REFORMS AND THE ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY
the Committee for the Defense of Democratic Liberties and Human Rights in Syria (CDF) addressed a letter to an EU delegation visiting the country advancing proposals for the improvement of human rights and civil society in Syria.
- MAY 27, 2005RussiaDEATH PENALTY
RUSSIA. DEPUTY SEEKS LAW ON RUSSIA'S REJECTION OF DEATH PENALTY
State Duma legislative committee chief Pavel Krasheninnikov called on the lower chamber of the Russian Parliament to adopt a bill that would confirm the abolition of the death penalty in Russia.
- MAY 27, 2005RussiaDEATH PENALTY
RUSSIA. RUSSIA TOO QUICK WITH DEATH PENALTY MORATORIUM IT CAN'T REVOKE, PARLIAMENTARIAN
Russia was too quick to introduce its capital punishment moratorium, Vladimir Vasilyev, State Duma member, told a news conference.
- MAY 17, 2005PhilippinesDEATH PENALTY
THE PHILIPPINES. ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY -- SANTIAGO
“Why not commute all death sentences?” was the suggestion of Catanduanes Rep. Joseph Santiago, who urged Philippine’s President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to follow the example of former Russian President Boris Yeltsin, who signed a decree in 1999 commuting
- MAY 17, 2005PhilippinesDEATH PENALTY
THE PHILIPPINES. MOVE TO REPEAL DEATH PENALTY REVIVED, EDITORIAL
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo breathed new life to an old proposal to repeal the death penalty.
- MAY 11, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. NO CONSENSUS ON ABOLISHING DEATH PENALTY, HOME MINISTER
in the absence of a consensus on whether the death sentence should be abolished, Indian Home Minister Shivraj Patil said the law would continue to be put into practice in its current form.
- APRIL 28, 2005KyrgyzstanDEATH PENALTY
KYRGYZSTAN. PRESIDENT BAKIYEV CALLS FOR ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY
acting president Kurmanbek Bakiyev said at a constitutional conference in Bishkek that Kyrgyzstan must abolish the death penalty.
- APRIL 21, 2005MexicoDEATH PENALTY
MEXICO. PARLIAMENT ABOLISHES CAPITAL PUNISHMENT FOR MILITARY CRIMES
Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies abolished the death penalty for military crimes.
- APRIL 20, 2005Burkina FasoDEATH PENALTY
Burkina Faso abstained from the resolution on the death penalty at the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights.
Burkina Faso abstained from the resolution on the death penalty at the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights.
- APRIL 20, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
India abstained from the resolution on the death penalty at the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights.
India abstained from the resolution on the death penalty at the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights.
- APRIL 20, 2005ZimbabweDEATH PENALTY
Zimbabwe voted against the resolution on the death penalty at the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights.
Zimbabwe voted against the resolution on the death penalty at the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights.
- APRIL 20, 2005KenyaDEATH PENALTY
Kenya abstained from the resolution on the death penalty at the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights.
Kenya abstained from the resolution on the death penalty at the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights.
- APRIL 20, 2005GabonDEATH PENALTY
Gabon abstained from the resolution on the death penalty at the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights.
Gabon abstained from the resolution on the death penalty at the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights.
- APRIL 20, 2005CubaDEATH PENALTY
Cuba abstained from the resolution on the death penalty at the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights.
Cuba abstained from the resolution on the death penalty at the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights.
- APRIL 20, 2005TogoDEATH PENALTY
Togo voted against the resolution on the death penalty at the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights.
Togo voted against the resolution on the death penalty at the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights.
- APRIL 20, 2005Sri LankaDEATH PENALTY
Sri Lanka abstained from the resolution on the death penalty at the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights.
Sri Lanka abstained from the resolution on the death penalty at the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights.
- APRIL 20, 2005NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
Nigeria abstained from the resolution on the death penalty at the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights.
Nigeria abstained from the resolution on the death penalty at the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights.
- APRIL 20, 2005South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
South Korea abstained from the resolution on the death penalty at the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights.
South Korea abstained from the resolution on the death penalty at the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights.
- APRIL 20, 2005United NationsDEATH PENALTY
GENEVA. CHR APPROVES RESOLUTION CALLING FOR MORATORIUM AND ABOLITION
the UN Commission on Human Rights has approved a resolution calling on states to abolish the death penalty and in the meantime to establish a moratorium on executions, for the eighth consecutive year.