Abolish the death penalty

DEATH PENALTY IN 2008-The journey towards abolition continues

Amnesty International recorded that at least 2390 people were executed and at least 8864 sentenced to death around the world in 2008. Read more

The death penalty is the ultimate denial of human rights. It is the premeditated and cold-blooded killing of a human being by the state. This cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment is done in the name of justice.

It violates the right to life as proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception regardless of the nature of the crime, the characteristics of the offender, or the method used by the state to kill the prisoner.

News & actions

News & actions

Togo: Fifteenth country in Africa to abolish the death penalty

23 June 2009

Togo has decided to abolish the death penalty following a unanimous vote by the national assembly.
Execution gurney in lethal injection death chamber

Texas carries out 200th execution under current governor

3 June 2009

Terry Lee Hankins was the 16th person to be executed in Texas this year, out of a national total of 30.
Barack Obama speaking in Mexico City on Friday, 17 April

President Obama urged to tackle human rights violations in Saudi Arabia

3 June 2009

US President Barack Obama begins his trip to the Middle East with a visit to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.

Man beheaded and crucified in Saudi Arabia

1 June 2009

An "horrific" public execution and crucifixion of a man in Saudi Arabia has been condemned by Amnesty International.
G20 leaders gather in London

G-20 must set the example and clean up their human rights record

28 May 2009

Amnesty International’s Secretary General has called on the G-20 grouping that brings together the world’s leading economies to lead by example and show real commitment to human rights.
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Trend towards abolition

Trend towards abolition

No of countries that carried out executions

Amnesty International monitors developments around the application of the death penalty worldwide. The graph above is based on figures that Amnesty International publishes every year.

Watch and Listen

Watch and Listen

The death penalty in the Americas in 2008

Video: The death penalty in the Americas in 2008

Sam Millsap, former District Attorney in Texas, USA, sentenced to death Ruben Cantu for capital murder. In 2005, thirteen years after his execution, as serious questions were raised concerning Cantu’s guilt, Millsap acknowledged that he made an error in seeking the death penalty on the basis of the testimony of a single eyewitness. Sam Millsap is now actively campaigning against the death penalty.
The death penalty in Asia in 2008

Video: The death penalty in Asia in 2008

Forty years ago, judge Kumamoto Norimichi convicted and sentenced to death Iwao Hakamada, despite believing he was innocent. When arrested, Iwao Hakamada was tortured until he confessed to the crime. He then retracted his confession. He remains on death row, facing imminent execution.
The death penalty in Europe and Central Asia in 2008

Video: The death penalty in Europe and Central Asia in 2008

Interview with Oleg Alkaev: he carried out executions in Belarus between 1996 and 2001.
The death penalty in Middle East and North Africa in 2008

Video: The death penalty in Middle East and North Africa in 2008

Dr Mohammed Al-Tarawneh worked in the court of appeal in Jordan for 25 years. He has first hand knowledge about the application of the death penalty in Jordan.