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 12, 2003TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Turkey officially presented the sixth protocol to the...
Turkey officially presented the sixth protocol to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms concerning the abolition of death penalty
- NOVEMBER 3, 2003UgandaDEATH PENALTY
"No human being has power over the life of another
"No human being has power over the life of another
- OCTOBER 27, 2003TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
Taiwan's government was drafting legislation to abolish...
Taiwan's government was drafting legislation to abolish the death penalty, an unnamed cabinet official was reported as saying
- OCTOBER 12, 2003IndiaDEATH PENALTY
Capital punishment forecloses the chance for reformation...
Capital punishment forecloses the chance for reformation and hence should be repealed as has been done by most civilised nations, former Indian Supreme Court Judge, K
- OCTOBER 10, 2003European UnionDEATH PENALTY
On occasion of the "World Day Against the Death Penalty",...
On occasion of the "World Day Against the Death Penalty", the European Parliament declared that: "The EU reaffirms its commitments in promoting the abolishment of the death penalty, both in times of war and in times of peace
- OCTOBER 4, 2003PhilippinesDEATH PENALTY
Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr
Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr
- SEPTEMBER 25, 2003CubaDEATH PENALTY
The news agency Agencia Brasil web site reported that...
The news agency Agencia Brasil web site reported that Fidel Castro's government had announced an end to executions by firing squad in Cuba
- SEPTEMBER 24, 2003FranceDEATH PENALTY
Saw the commencement in Paris of the European tour...
Saw the commencement in Paris of the European tour conducted by former Governor of Illinois George Ryan and Leroy Orange, the ex death row inmate he pardoned
- SEPTEMBER 24, 2003ItalyDEATH PENALTY
Saw the commencement in Paris of the European tour...
Saw the commencement in Paris of the European tour conducted by former Governor of Illinois George Ryan and Leroy Orange, the ex death row inmate he pardoned
- SEPTEMBER 23, 2003ItalyDEATH PENALTY
In his speech at the UN, Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi,...
In his speech at the UN, Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, speaking on behalf of the EU as current Presidency holder, asked for the universal abolition of the death penalty and for a general moratorium on executions
- SEPTEMBER 15, 2003Council of EuropeDEATH PENALTY
Four people were sentenced to death in Belarus in 2002,...
Four people were sentenced to death in Belarus in 2002, but no one was executed, Belarussian Deputy Interior Minister and head of the Investigation Committee Leonid Glukhovsky said at a joint seminar of the Belarus National Assembly and the Parliamentary
- SEPTEMBER 11, 2003NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
The Muslim Right Congress warned that the proposed...
The Muslim Right Congress warned that the proposed abolition of death penalty was aimed at allowing the killers of the former Attorney - General and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige to escape the hangman's noose
- SEPTEMBER 10, 2003KazakhstanDEATH PENALTY
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev was reported...
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev was reported as advocating the gradual abolition of the death penalty, urging that his position be explained to the public
- SEPTEMBER 9, 2003ArmeniaDEATH PENALTY
Armenia's 131-seat national assembly on September 9,...
Armenia's 131-seat national assembly on September 9, 2003 voted to unconditionally abolish the death penalty in peacetime
- SEPTEMBER 9, 2003ArmeniaDEATH PENALTY
"By ratifying Protocol No
"By ratifying Protocol No
- SEPTEMBER 5, 2003ArmeniaDEATH PENALTY
The Council of Europe (CE) was disappointed with the...
The Council of Europe (CE) was disappointed with the fact that there were provisions in the law on the application of the new Armenian Criminal Code, which would allow the death penalty to be applied to criminals sentenced to death prior to 1 August 2003,
- SEPTEMBER 4, 2003United NationsDEATH PENALTY
The UN Human Rights Committee said Canadian authorities...
The UN Human Rights Committee said Canadian authorities breached an international human rights treaty by deporting convicted killer Roger Judge back to death row in Pennsylvania in 1998 after he had served a separate 10-year term in Quebec for crimes comm
- AUGUST 20, 2003GeorgiaDEATH PENALTY
Apparently alarmed at deteriorating law and order in...
Apparently alarmed at deteriorating law and order in Georgia, the country's president publicly expressed his regret at being forced into abolishing the death penalty
- AUGUST 13, 2003ItalyDEATH PENALTY
Sergio D'Elia and Elisabetta Zamparutti, together with...
Sergio D'Elia and Elisabetta Zamparutti, together with Silvia Piccinini of the Italian Embassy in Lusaka, met with MP Doris Katai Mwinga, Clerk of the Zambian National Assembly
- AUGUST 10, 2003NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
In an interview with Sunday Vanguard Abdul Oroh, journalist,...
In an interview with Sunday Vanguard Abdul Oroh, journalist, Nigerian parliamentarian and Hands Off Cain board member, stated: "I want to see a bill that will introduce a moratorium on death penalty in Nigeria, I don't believe in capital punishment
- AUGUST 8, 2003MoroccoDEATH PENALTY
The Moroccan Association of Human Rights Defence (AMDH)...
The Moroccan Association of Human Rights Defence (AMDH) lauded the intention expressed by the Moroccan government to abrogate capital punishment
- AUGUST 6, 2003ItalyDEATH PENALTY
As part of a Hands Off Cain delegation Marco Cappato,...
As part of a Hands Off Cain delegation Marco Cappato, Lista Bonino MEP, was in Senegal gathering consensus for a UN moratorium on capital executions
- AUGUST 6, 2003SenegalDEATH PENALTY
As part of a Hands Off Cain delegation Marco Cappato,...
As part of a Hands Off Cain delegation Marco Cappato, Lista Bonino MEP, was in Senegal gathering consensus for a UN moratorium on capital executions
- AUGUST 1, 2003GhanaDEATH PENALTY
MEP Marco Cappato went to Ghana to obtain political...
MEP Marco Cappato went to Ghana to obtain political backing for the moratorium proposal on capital executions at the forthcomming UN General Assembly
- AUGUST 1, 2003ItalyDEATH PENALTY
MEP Marco Cappato went to Ghana to obtain political...
MEP Marco Cappato went to Ghana to obtain political backing for the moratorium proposal on capital executions at the forthcomming UN General Assembly
- AUGUST 1, 2003Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTY
August 4-11, 2003: a joint No Peace Without Justice...
August 4-11, 2003: a joint No Peace Without Justice and Hands Off Cain delegation, led by the President of the Transational Radical Party Sergio Stanzani, visited Sierra Leone to discuss the death penalty and the country's opinion with regard to a worldwi
- JULY 22, 2003JapanDEATH PENALTY
The Asahi Shimbun Liberal Democratic Party (LPD) members...
The Asahi Shimbun Liberal Democratic Party (LPD) members in favor of capital punishment stalled a bill to set up a panel on abolishing the death penalty, before it even reached the Diet
- JULY 15, 2003ArmeniaDEATH PENALTY
The Constitutional Court (CC) of Armenia recognized...
The Constitutional Court (CC) of Armenia recognized the provisions of Protocol No
- JULY 15, 2003European UnionDEATH PENALTY
The Italian Presidency has made the following statement...
The Italian Presidency has made the following statement on behalf of the European Union: "The European Union welcomes the entry into force on 1 July 2003 of Protocol No
- JULY 14, 2003ArmeniaDEATH PENALTY
The "Orinats Yerkir" party is for abolition of the...
The "Orinats Yerkir" party is for abolition of the capital punishment in Armenia, Chairman of the Armenian National Assembly and Leader of the party, Arthur Baghdasaryan, said at a press-conference