Death Penalty - Amnesty International

The death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. Amnesty opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception – regardless of ... Skiptomaincontent Whichlanguagewouldyouliketousethissitein? English español français العربية Close WhoWeAreExpandWhoWeAresub-list HowWe’reRun Careers WhatWeDo Countries GetInvolvedExpandGetInvolvedsub-list TakeAction Join Volunteer DonateNow LatestExpandLatestsub-list News Campaigns Education Research Impact DONATE ©AmnestyInternational/McCannEricksonBerlinDEATHPENALTY BacktoWhatwedo Overview Weknowthat,together,wecanendthedeathpenaltyeverywhere. Everyday,peopleareexecutedandsentencedtodeathbythestateaspunishmentforavarietyofcrimes–sometimesforactsthatshouldnotbecriminalized.Insomecountries,itcanbefordrug-relatedoffences,inothersitisreservedforterrorism-relatedactsandmurder. Somecountriesexecutepeoplewhowere under18yearsold whenthecrimewascommitted,othersusethedeathpenaltyagainstpeoplewithmentalandintellectualdisabilitiesandseveralothersapplythedeathpenaltyafterunfairtrials–inclearviolationofinternationallawandstandards.Peoplecanspendyearsondeathrow,notknowingwhentheirtimeisup,orwhethertheywillseetheirfamiliesonelasttime. Thedeathpenaltyistheultimatecruel,inhumananddegradingpunishment.Amnestyopposesthedeathpenaltyinallcaseswithoutexception–regardlessofwhoisaccused,thenatureorcircumstancesofthe crime,guiltorinnocenceormethodofexecution. AmnestyInternationalholdsthatthedeathpenaltybreacheshumanrights,inparticulartherighttolifeandtherighttolivefreefromtortureorcruel,inhumanordegradingtreatmentorpunishment.BothrightsareprotectedundertheUniversalDeclarationofHumanRights,adoptedbytheUNin1948.Overtime,theinternationalcommunityhasadoptedseveralinstrumentsthatbantheuseofthedeathpenalty,includingthefollowing:•TheSecondOptionalProtocoltotheInternationalCovenantonCivilandPoliticalRights,aimingattheabolitionofthedeathpenalty.•ProtocolNo.6totheEuropeanConventiononHumanRights,concerningtheabolitionofthedeathpenalty,andProtocolNo.13totheEuropeanConventiononHumanRights,concerningtheabolitionofthedeathpenaltyinallcircumstances.•TheProtocoltotheAmericanConventiononHumanRightstoAbolishtheDeathPenalty. Althoughinternationallawsaysthattheuseofthedeathpenaltymustberestrictedtothethemostseriouscrimes,meaningintentionalkilling,Amnestybelievesthatthedeathpenaltyisnevertheanswer. Thedeathpenaltyisasymptomofacultureofviolence,notasolutiontoit.  ExecutionMethods •Beheading•Electrocution•Hanging•Lethalinjection•Shooting JuvenileExecutions Theuseofthedeathpenaltyforcrimescommittedbypeopleyoungerthan18isprohibitedunderinternationalhumanrightslaw,yetsomecountriesstillsentencetodeathandexecutejuveniledefendants.SuchexecutionsarefewcomparedtothetotalnumberofexecutionsrecordedbyAmnestyInternationaleachyear. However,theirsignificancegoesbeyondtheirnumberandcallsintoquestionthecommitmentoftheexecutingstatestorespectinternationallaw. Since1990AmnestyInternationalhasdocumentedatleast152executionsofpeoplewhowerebelowtheageof18atthetimeofthecrimein10countries:China,theDemocraticRepublicofCongo,Iran,Nigeria,Pakistan,SaudiArabia,SouthSudan,Sudan,theUSAandYemen. Severalofthesecountrieshavechangedtheirlawstoexcludethepractice.Iranhasexecutedmorethantwiceasmanypeoplewhowerebelowtheageof18atthetimeofthecrimeastheotherninecountriescombined.AtthetimeofwritingIranhasexecutedatleast102ofthemsince1990. Wheredomostexecutionstakeplace? In2020,mostknownexecutionstookplaceinChina,Iran,Egypt,IraqandSaudiArabia–inthatorder. Chinaremainstheworld’stopexecutioner–butthetrueextentoftheuseofthedeathpenaltyinChinaisunknownasthisdataisclassifiedasastatesecret;theglobalfigureofatleast483recordedin2020excludesthethousandsofexecutionsbelievedtohavebeencarriedoutinChina. ExcludingChina,88%ofallreportedexecutionstookplaceinjustfourcountries–Iran,Egypt,IraqandSaudiArabia. Executionsperyear AmnestyInternationalrecordedatleast483executionsin18countriesin2020,downby26%from2019(atleast657executions).ThisfigurerepresentsthelowestnumberofexecutionsthatAmnestyInternationalhasrecordedinatleastadecade. Deathsentencesperyear AmnestyInternationalrecordedatleast1,477deathsentencesin54countriesin2020,adecreaseof36%fromthetotalof2,307reportedin2019.Atleast28,567peoplewereknowntobeundersentenceofdeathgloballyattheendof2020. Reasonstoabolishthedeathpenalty Itisirreversibleandmistakeshappen. Executionistheultimate,irrevocablepunishment:theriskofexecutinganinnocentpersoncanneverbeeliminated.Since1973,forexample,morethan184prisonerssenttodeathrowintheUSAhavelaterbeenexoneratedorreleasedfromdeathrowongroundsofinnocence.Othershavebeenexecuteddespiteseriousdoubtsabouttheirguilt. Itdoesnotdetercrime. Countrieswhoexecutecommonlycitethedeathpenaltyasawaytodeterpeoplefromcommittingcrime.Thisclaimhasbeenrepeatedlydiscredited,andthereisnoevidencethatthedeathpenaltyisanymoreeffectiveinreducingcrimethanlifeimprisonment. Itisoftenusedwithinskewedjusticesystems. InmanycasesrecordedbyAmnestyInternational,peoplewereexecutedafterbeingconvictedingrosslyunfairtrials,onthebasisoftorture-taintedevidenceandwithinadequatelegalrepresentation.Insomecountriesdeathsentencesareimposedasthemandatorypunishmentforcertainoffences,meaningthatjudgesarenotabletoconsiderthecircumstancesofthecrimeorofthedefendantbeforesentencing. Itisdiscriminatory. Theweightofthedeathpenaltyisdisproportionallycarriedbythosewithlessadvantagedsocio-economicbackgroundsorbelongingtoaracial,ethnicorreligiousminority.Thisincludeshavinglimitedaccesstolegalrepresentation,forexample,orbeingatgreaterdisadvantageintheirexperienceofthecriminaljusticesystem. Itisusedasapoliticaltool. Theauthoritiesinsomecountries,forexampleIranandSudan,usethedeathpenaltytopunishpoliticalopponents. WhatisAmnestydoingtoabolishthedeathpenalty? For40years,Amnestyhasbeencampaigningtoabolishthedeathpenaltyaroundtheworld. Amnestymonitorsitsusebyallstatestoexposeandholdtoaccountgovernmentsthatcontinuetousetheultimatecruel,inhumananddegradingpunishment. Wepublishareportannually,reportingfiguresandanalysingtrendsforeachcountry.Amnesty’slatestreport,DeathSentencesandExecutions2020,wasreleasedinApril2021. Theorganisation’sworktoopposethedeathpenaltytakesmanyforms,includingtargeted,advocacyandcampaignbasedprojectsintheAfrica,Asia-Pacific,AmericasandEuropeandCentralAsiaregion;strengtheningnationalandinternationalstandardsagainstitsuse,includingbysupportingthesuccessfuladoptionofresolutionsonamoratoriumontheuseofthedeathpenaltybytheUNGeneralAssembly;andapplyingpressureoncasesthatfaceimminentexecution.Wealsosupportactionsandworkbytheabolitionistmovement,atnational,regionalandgloballevel. WhenAmnestystartedits workin1977,only16countrieshadtotallyabolishedthedeathpenalty.Today,thatnumberhasrisento108–morethanhalftheworld’scountries.Morethantwo-thirdsareabolitionistinlaworpractice. CASESTUDIES Savedfromdeathrow:HafezIbrahim Savedfromdeathrow:HafezIbrahimSeventeen-year-oldHafezIbrahimwassentencedtodeathforamurderwhichheallegedlycommittedwhenhewasaged16.TheYemenipenalcodeexpresslyprohibitstheexecutionofanyoneunder18yearsold.TheMinisterofHumanRightsinYementoldAIthatHafezIbrahim’sagewasdisputed.However,lawyersrepresentingHafezIbrahimmaintainthatheisunder18. ThankstoAmnesty’scampaigningefforts,theexecutionof HafezIbrahim,fromYemen,wasstoppednotonce,buttwice.Hafez,whowasaccusedofacrimeheinsistshedidn’tcommit,firstfacedafiringsquadin2005.HewastakentoasmallyardinaYemeniprisonandbroughtbeforearowofofficerswithriflesinhand.Hethoughtthatmomentwouldbehislast. Justbeforehewasabouttobeshot,hewastakenbacktohiscell,withnoexplanation.“Iwaslost,Ididnotunderstandwhatwashappening.IlaterlearnedthatAmnestyInternationalhadcalledontheYemeniPresidenttostopmyexecutionandthemessagewasheard,”Hafezsaid. In2007,HafezwasabouttobeexecutedagainwhenhesentamobiletextmessagetoAmnesty.“Theyareabouttoexecuteus,”Hafezsaid. Itwasamessagethatsavedhislife.Themessagesparkedaninternationalcampaign,persuadingthePresidenttostoptheexecutionforasecondtime. NowHafezisalawyerhelpingjuvenileswholanguishondeathrowcorridorsacrossYemen.“IowemylifetoAmnesty.NowIdedicatethatlifetocampaigningagainstthedeathpenalty.” Activistsonamission:SouleymaneSow AmnestyInternational Amnesty’sworktoabolishthedeathpenaltyisalsobolsteredbyitsincredibleactivists,whotakeituponthemselvestocampaignagainstthisabhorrentpractice. SouleymaneSow, hasbeenvolunteeringwithAmnestyInternationalsincehewasastudentinFrance.Inspiredtomakeadifference,hereturnedtoGuinea,setupalocalgroupofAmnestyInternationalvolunteersandgottowork.Theiraim?Topromotetheimportanceofhumanrights,educatepeopleontheseissuesandabolishthedeathpenalty.Alongwith34NGOs,theyfinallyachievedtheirgoallastyear. “MycolleaguesandIlobbiedagainstthedeathpenaltyeverydayforfivemonths.In2016,Guinea’sNationalAssemblyvotedinfavourofanewcriminalcodewhichremovedthedeathsentencefromthelistofapplicablepenalties. Lastyear,theydidthesameinthemilitarycourt,too,”saidSouleymane. “Itwassuchanincredibleachievement–anditshowedtheimportanceofpeoplepower.ItwasthefirsttimesomanyNGOshadcometogethertocampaignonanissue.Peoplesaidtheywerehappywithourworkandtheycouldseethatchangeispossible.Mostofall,itinspiredustocontinuecampaigning.”   Theglobalview Deathsentencesandexecutions2007-2020 CountrynameslistedreflectnomenclatureinApril2021 FurtherReadingThedeathpenalty–yourquestionsanswered RelatedContent ©ARISMESSINIS/AFPviaGettyImages Russia/Ukraine:InvasionofUkraineisanactofaggressionandhumanrightscatastrophe News Russia/Ukraine:InvasionofUkraineisanactofaggressionandhumanrightscatastrophe ©SerhiiHudak/Ukrinform/FuturePublishingviaGettyImages Howtorespondtolargerefugeearrivals:5‘goldenrules’forEuropeancountriesaspeoplefleeUkraine. Howtorespondtolargerefugeearrivals:5‘goldenrules’forEuropeancountriesaspeoplefleeUkraine. Sourced Zimbabwe:Investigateviolenceonpoliticaloppositionsupporters News Zimbabwe:Investigateviolenceonpoliticaloppositionsupporters AndrewBrookes/Getty Pakistan:Repealamendmenttodraconiancyberlaw News Pakistan:Repealamendmenttodraconiancyberlaw Photo:KonstantinZavrazhin/GettyImages Russia:KremlincensorsmediaanddispersesprotestersopposedtoUkraineinvasion News Russia:KremlincensorsmediaanddispersesprotestersopposedtoUkraineinvasion viewall KeyFacts 108countrieshadcompletelyabolishedthedeathpenaltybytheendof2020 483peoplewereexecutedin2020(excludingChina)–down26%from2019 1,000SofpeoplewerelikelyexecutedinChina,butthenumbersremainclassified