For over 45 years, Amnesty International has been campaigning to abolish the death penalty around the world. Amnesty International monitors its use by all states to expose and hold to account governments that continue to use the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.

Feb 5, 2025 · When Amnesty International started its work in 1977, only 16 countries had totally abolished the death penalty. Today, that number has risen to 108 – more than half the world’s countries. We have helped save the lives of countless death row prisoners – and there’s much more work ahead.

May 29, 2024 · Amnesty International’s monitoring of the global use of the death penalty recorded 1,153 known executions in 2023, an increase by 31% from 883 in 2022. However, there was a significant decrease in executing countries, from 20 in 2022 to 16 in 2023.

Why does Amnesty International oppose the death penalty? The death penalty violates the most fundamental human right – the right to life. It is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. The death penalty is discriminatory.

Amnesty International recorded at least 28 exonerations of prisoners who had been sentenced to death in four countries: Kenya (20), Morocco/Western Sahara (1), the USA (2), and Zimbabwe (5). Globally, at least 28,282 people were under sentence of death at the end of 2022.

May 28, 2024 · Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception regardless of the nature or circumstances of the crime; guilt, innocence or other characteristics of the individual; or the method used by the state to carry out the execution.

Feb 5, 2025 · As of May 2023, Amnesty International listed the United States as just 1 of 55 countries globally with a legal death penalty for “ordinary” crimes. Another 9 countries reserved the death penalty for “exceptional crimes such as crimes under military law or crimes committed in exceptional circumstances.”

Six reasons why Amnesty International believes that the death penalty (aka capital punishment) has no place in any criminal justice systems & must be abolished.

Amnesty International reports record-high executions in 2023, with Iran leading the surge. Despite setbacks, global progress continues with fewer countries implementing capital punishment. Learn about death penalty trends and efforts toward abolition worldwide.

Jul 6, 2023 · The death penalty, both in the U.S. and around the world, is discriminatory and is used disproportionately against the poor, minorities and members of racial, ethnic and religious communities. Since humans are fallible, the risk of executing …