INDEX

This annual publication presents changes in the death row population as well as political and legal developments in the administration of the death penalty in India each year. The statistics are compiled through a combination of data mining of court websites, media monitoring and Right to Information applications.

• Document type NGO report
• Countries list India
• Themes list Death Row Conditions / Fair Trial / Moratorium

ECPM’s new guide provides NHRIs and NPMs with practical tools for assessing the conditions of detention of death row prisoners, emphasizing international human rights standards.

• Document type NGO report
• Themes list Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment and Punishment / Death Row Conditions / Fair Trial / Gender / Juveniles / Legal Representation / Women
• Available languages Monitoring des conditions de détention des personnes condamnées à mort : Guide pratique des INDH et MNP

The Death Penalty in 2024 report highlights critical trends in capital punishment: death sentences and executions remain near historic lows, public support continues to decline, and over 200 exonerations have now been documented. Landmark events include President Biden commuting the death sentences of 37 men on federal death row, Alabama’s unprecedented use of nitrogen gas for executions, and increased attention to innocence in high-profile cases like Melissa Lucio and Richard Glossip. The report also underscores growing global criticism of the death penalty, as 130 countries backed a UN resolution for a moratorium.

• Document type NGO report
• Countries list United States
• Themes list Clemency / Innocence / Public Opinion / Trend Towards Abolition

This comprehensive report by Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) explores the gendered dimensions of the death penalty in Iran, highlighting systemic inequalities, discriminatory laws, and societal factors that disproportionately affect women on death row. Between 2010 and 2024, at least 241 women were executed, with only 26% of cases officially reported. Many were sentenced under circumstances marked by domestic violence, coerced confessions, or lack of legal representation. The report underscores the urgent need for international advocacy to address these injustices and promote gender equality in Iran’s judicial system.

• Document type NGO report
• Countries list Iran (Islamic Republic of)
• Themes list Death Row Conditions / Gender / Women

The European Saudi Organization for Human Rights (ESOHR) reports an alarming escalation in executions in Saudi Arabia in 2024, marking a historic high with 345 individuals executed—double the number from 2023. This report highlights the extensive use of the death penalty, with executions for drug-related offenses, political charges, and discretionary judgments (Taazir) significantly increasing. The grim statistics reveal a judicial system fraught with human rights violations, including torture, lack of legal defense, and the execution of minors and women. Amid international criticism, Saudi Arabia’s use of the death penalty underscores a blatant disregard for justice and human dignity, perpetuating fear and repression while pursuing an international image of progressiveness.

• Document type NGO report
• Countries list Saudi Arabia
• Themes list Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment and Punishment / Drug Offenses / Juveniles
• Available languages عهد الدم: رقم تاريخي للإعدام في السعودية ٢٠٢٤

This report examines important developments regarding the death penalty in Texas in 2024, highlighting cases of individuals convicted despite evidence of innocence, racial and geographic disparities, and issues related to lethal injections.

• Document type NGO report
• Countries list United States
• Themes list Clemency / Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment and Punishment / Death Row Conditions / Fair Trial / Innocence / Intellectual Disability / Legal Representation / Mental Illness / Moratorium / Trend Towards Abolition

The General Assembly of the United Nations calls for a global moratorium on the death penalty, emphasizing the importance of human rights, fair trials, and transparency. It encourages states to reduce capital punishment offenses, improve detention conditions, and share their experiences in limiting or abolishing the death penalty.

• Document type International law - United Nations
• Themes list Fair Trial / Juveniles / Mental Illness / Moratorium / Trend Towards Abolition
• Available languages 2024 قرار اتخذته الجمعية العامة في 17 كانون الأول/ديسمبرResolución aprobada por la Asamblea General el 17 de diciembre de 2024Résolution adoptée par l’Assemblée générale le 17 décembre 2024Резолюция, принятая Генеральной Ассамблеей 17 декабря 2024 года2024 年 12 月 17 日大会决议

The Global Commission on Drug Policy’s report, Beyond Punishment: From Criminal Justice Responses to Drug Policy Reform, exposes how punitive drug policies have driven mass incarceration and grave human rights violations. In 2023 alone, over 3.1 million people were arrested for drug-related offenses, with 20% of the global prison population detained for such crimes – nearly half for simple possession.

The report underscores the devastating consequences of prohibitionist policies, including over one million overdose deaths in the U.S. in the past two decades and 40,000 in Canada in just eight years. It also highlights systemic inequities, such as Indigenous peoples in Canada being six times more likely to face drug-related arrests than white counterparts. Furthermore, the report illustrates the disproportionate burdens on women and children, deepening cycles of poverty and marginalization.

It examines the broad spectrum of criminal justice responses to drug offenses, ranging from stop-and-search practices that disproportionately target marginalized communities to extreme measures like the death penalty and enforced treatment. These approaches often violate human rights, perpetuate stigma, and fail to address the root causes of substance use.

Offering a roadmap for reform, the report advocates for evidence-based strategies, including harm reduction measures (e.g., Overdose Prevention Centers, naloxone distribution, and safer supply programs), decriminalization and the legal regulation of drug markets. These approaches not only save lives but also reduce societal harms, foster dignity, and promote health and equity.

• Document type NGO report
• Themes list Drug Offenses
• Available languages De l’échec de la pénalisation à la réforme des politiques en matière de drogues

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) has released a detailed report exposing the inhumane conditions at Qarchak Prison in Iran, a facility originally designed as a poultry farm. The prison detains over 2,000 women and children in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, with a lack of healthcare, contaminated drinking water, and inadequate nutrition. Children, some born in the prison, are exposed to severe hardships, including unhygienic environments, insufficient food, and inadequate medical care, and are often separated from their mothers at the age of two.

The report also highlights the use of solitary confinement for women, including death row prisoners awaiting execution. These cells lack ventilation and basic facilities, exacerbating the psychological and physical suffering of detainees. Mothers detained with their children face additional challenges, including threats of separation and the absence of educational or recreational resources for their children.

IHRNGO calls for the immediate closure of Qarchak Prison and urges the international community to take action against these egregious human rights violations. This report underscores the urgent need to protect the dignity and rights of all prisoners, particularly the most vulnerable women and children.

• Document type NGO report
• Countries list Iran (Islamic Republic of)
• Themes list Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment and Punishment / Death Row Conditions / Women

Executions take a severe psychological toll on prison staff, with many experiencing PTSD, moral injury, and emotional distress. This article explores the hidden casualties of the death penalty, revealing how executioners and correctional officers face mental health challenges that often go unacknowledged. With insights from studies, personal accounts, and cases across the U.S., it highlights the urgent need for systemic support and reform.

• Document type Arguments against the death penalty
• Countries list United States
• Themes list Death Row Conditions / Mental Illness