World Day Against the Death Penalty
Germany and partners in Europe campaign against the death penalty.
“There are struggles that cannot be won single-handedly. One of these is the fight against capital punishment.” This insight begins a joint appeal for the abolition of capital punishment that the foreign ministers of Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland issued on World Day Against the Death Penalty in 2012. The Europe-wide campaign against capital punishment has now been continuing for decades, also promoted by human rights organizations like Amnesty International. The death penalty is not prohibited by international law, but Germany and many other European countries reject this form of punishment “on ethical and moral as well as judicial policy grounds,” emphasizes the Federal Foreign Ministry in Berlin. Europe is today the only region in the world where the death penalty is no longer used. All 47 member states of the Council of Europe have abolished this form of punishment or suspended it by memorandum.
Amnesty International also sees a definite worldwide trend towards the abolition of the death penalty. However, the organization’s 2012 report lists a number of countries that have again carried out executions. “The resumptions in Botswana, Gambia, India, Japan and Pakistan are very unfortunate setbacks,” emphasizes Oliver Hendrich, Amnesty International expert in Germany. Excluding China, at least 682 people in 21 countries were executed in 2012.
The World Day Against the Death Penalty was held for the first time on 10 October 2003. It was initiated by the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, which is made up of a large number of international nongovernmental organizations, lawyers’ associations and governments.
World Day against the Death Penalty on 10 October
