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 12, 2003ArmeniaDEATH PENALTY
The Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) is for the abolition...
The Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) is for the abolition of death penalty in Armenia, RPA Chairman and Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margarian stated at the RPA's 8th congress
- JULY 10, 2003KazakhstanDEATH PENALTY
The introduction of life prison sentences in Kazakhstan...
The introduction of life prison sentences in Kazakhstan for those who commit grave crimes would facilitate the full abolition of the death penalty in the country, Kazakh Justice Minister Onalsyn Zhumabekov said
- JULY 9, 2003KenyaDEATH PENALTY
Robinson Githae, Assistant Minister for Justice and...
Robinson Githae, Assistant Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs of Kenya, in a meeting with Hands Off Cain officials in Rome, ensured his country's commitment to the abolition of the death penalty and Kenya's support for a moratorium resolution
- JULY 9, 2003ItalyDEATH PENALTY
Robinson Githae, Assistant Minister for Justice and...
Robinson Githae, Assistant Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs of Kenya, in a meeting with Hands Off Cain officials in Rome, ensured his country's commitment to the abolition of the death penalty and Kenya's support for a moratorium resolution
- JULY 8, 2003ItalyDEATH PENALTY
Amnesty International "is not opposed" to the hypothesis...
Amnesty International "is not opposed" to the hypothesis of a resolution for a death penalty moratorium at the UN General Assembly
- JULY 7, 2003ItalyDEATH PENALTY
The Italian version of Hands Off Cain's 2003 Report...
The Italian version of Hands Off Cain's 2003 Report on the death penalty worldwide has presented in Rome
- JULY 7, 2003PhilippinesDEATH PENALTY
Justice and human rights committee chairman Senator...
Justice and human rights committee chairman Senator Francis N
- JUNE 6, 2003PhilippinesDEATH PENALTY
Senator Aquilino Q
Senator Aquilino Q
- MAY 28, 2003TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
The movement toward the abolition of the death penalty...
The movement toward the abolition of the death penalty in Taiwan progressed in 2002, although nine people were executed and 100 convicted prisoners remained on death row, Amnesty International said
- MAY 23, 2003JapanDEATH PENALTY
A group of 122 lawmakers calling for the abolition...
A group of 122 lawmakers calling for the abolition of the death penalty in Japan said they would submit a bill demanding a halt to hangings to the current Diet session in June 2003
- MAY 7, 2003ItalyDEATH PENALTY
Former EU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner and Hands Off...
Former EU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner and Hands Off Cain honorary president MEP Emma Bonino welcomed the commitment of the Italian government to present a resolution for a worldwide moratorium on executions to the United Nations General Assembly express
- MAY 5, 2003ItalyDEATH PENALTY
In his first public debate on the death penalty outside...
In his first public debate on the death penalty outside the United States, former Illinois Governor George Ryan called for states that execute people all over the world to impose moratoria and take the time to study their capital punishment systems
- APRIL 24, 2003United NationsDEATH PENALTY
A resolution for a moratorium on capital executions...
A resolution for a moratorium on capital executions and the abolition of the death penalty was approved, for the seventh consecutive year, at the UN Commission on Human Rights with 24 votes in favour, 10 abstentions and 18 votes against
- APRIL 24, 2003Papua New GuineaDEATH PENALTY
At the 59th Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights...
At the 59th Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights , Papua New Guinea became the first de facto abolitionist country to sponsor the death penalty resolution, that was approved for the 7th consecutive year
- APRIL 17, 2003ArmeniaDEATH PENALTY
The Armenian parliament passed the third reading of...
The Armenian parliament passed the third reading of the new criminal code, which abolishes capital punishment and replaces it with life imprisonment
- APRIL 5, 2003ArmeniaDEATH PENALTY
Armen Martirossian, Armenian Deputy Minister for Foreign...
Armen Martirossian, Armenian Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, announced at a seminar held in Tsakhkadzor that there should be unanimous backing for the abolition of capital punishment from Armenia's legislation
- MARCH 20, 2003BulgariaDEATH PENALTY
At the UN Commission on Human Rights convening in Geneva...
At the UN Commission on Human Rights convening in Geneva Bulgaria expressed its firm conviction that the abolition of the death penalty represented a milestone in the progressive evolution of universal human rights standards
- MARCH 6, 2003IllinoisDEATH PENALTY
An Illinois House committee voted to abolish the death...
An Illinois House committee voted to abolish the death penalty, raising the stakes in the long debate over how to respond to flaws in the state's capital punishment system
- MARCH 4, 2003UgandaDEATH PENALTY
The German Ambassador Klaus Holderbaum called for the...
The German Ambassador Klaus Holderbaum called for the abolition of the death penalty in Uganda
- MARCH 1, 2003United StatesDEATH PENALTY
The Council of Europe urges nations across the globe...
The Council of Europe urges nations across the globe to abolish the death penalty as the organization celebrates Death Penalty Abolition Day
- FEBRUARY 28, 2003European UnionDEATH PENALTY
The heads of thirteen EU countries represented in Kenya...
The heads of thirteen EU countries represented in Kenya asked the Government to abolish the death penalty
- FEBRUARY 25, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
China retains the death penalty because the public...
China retains the death penalty because the public still supports the ultimate punishment, but Beijing has taken steps to restrict its use and turn to more humane ways of executing criminals, said a Beijing-based academic
- FEBRUARY 10, 2003United KingdomDEATH PENALTY
Bill Rammell, Foreign Office Minister with responsibility...
Bill Rammell, Foreign Office Minister with responsibility for human rights policy, met members of the Foreign Secretary's Death Penalty Panel to discuss how the UK can promote abolition of the death penalty in Africa
- FEBRUARY 4, 2003JapanDEATH PENALTY
Shizuka Kamei, head of the Diet Members' League for...
Shizuka Kamei, head of the Diet Members' League for the Abolition of the Death Penalty, said he would submit to the current Diet session a bill calling for the introduction of life imprisonment without parole, adding that it would be a milestone in the ab
- FEBRUARY 3, 2003South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
Peter Hodgkinson, British representative to the Council...
Peter Hodgkinson, British representative to the Council of the International League for the Abolition of the Death Penalty, arrived in Soeul to meet with policy makers and discuss issues concerning capital punishment
- JANUARY 22, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
China retains the death penalty because the public...
China retains the death penalty because the public still supports the ultimate punishment, but Beijing has taken steps to restrict its use and turn to more humane ways of executing criminals, said Law professor He Jiahong of the People's University in Bei
- JANUARY 17, 2003IllinoisDEATH PENALTY
The Presidency of the European Union issued a declaration...
The Presidency of the European Union issued a declaration on behalf of the EU on the decision to commute the sentences of all prisoners on death row in Illinois, US
- JANUARY 15, 2003TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Turkey signed a European protocol banning the death...
Turkey signed a European protocol banning the death penalty in peacetime a symbolic move demonstrating its commitment to human rights as it waits to open talks on EU membership
- JANUARY 15, 2003TexasDEATH PENALTY
The death penalty controversy sparked by the commutation...
The death penalty controversy sparked by the commutation of all 167 death row inmates in Illinois may spread to Texas if two bills filed last week pass the state Legislature
- JANUARY 13, 2003KenyaDEATH PENALTY
Kenya's new government wants to abolish the death penalty...
Kenya's new government wants to abolish the death penalty within the next six months, Justice Minister Kiraitu Murungi said