INDEX

Godden Matanga had done the unthinkable, earning him the label of society’s scum. Shunned by the world, he was considered an outcast. His life was once defined by a fateful act of murder, which led to a death sentence. But mercy found him in that death row cell, rewrote the story of his life, and walked with him out of the prison gates to freedom.

Outside the prison, Godden faced an uncertain world with mixed feelings about him. Could a man who had taken a life ever truly reclaim his own?

This powerful story of mercy and second chances explores God’s persistent love and merciful pursuit—a journey of redemption and the freedom that comes with forgiveness.

• Document type Book
• Countries list Zimbabwe
• Themes list Clemency / Death Row Conditions

The 2024 Report of the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty presents an overview of actions against capital punishment under the theme “The death penalty protects no one”. The report adopts a concise format, offering a clear and impactfuloverview of the mobilizations.

• Document type NGO report
• Themes list Public Opinion / Trend Towards Abolition
• Available languages Journée mondiale contre la peine de mort - Rapport 2024

The Death Penalty for Drug Offences: Global Overview 2024 report provides updates on legislative, policy and practical developments related to the use of capital punishment for drug offences, a practice which is a clear violation of international human rights and drug control standards. This report presents an analysis of key developments, with a focus on analysing and disseminating available figures and trends on drug-related executions and death sentences.

• Document type NGO report
• Countries list China / Democratic People's Republic of Korea / Indonesia / Iran (Islamic Republic of) / Iraq / Malaysia / Pakistan / Saudi Arabia / Singapore / Viet Nam
• Themes list Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment and Punishment / Drug Offenses / Fair Trial / Gender / Legal Representation / Moratorium / Trend Towards Abolition / Women

The report highlights ongoing human rights violations resulting from the controversial Operation ‘Ndobo’. This operation, aimed at combating urban gangs, has resulted in mass arrests, arbitrary convictions, and severe conditions for vulnerable youth, with urgent action needed to prevent extrajudicial executions.

• Document type NGO report
• Countries list Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Themes list Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment and Punishment / Death Row Conditions / Fair Trial / Juveniles / Legal Representation / Moratorium / Terrorism

The Report provides an in-depth analysis of death penalty trends in Iran 2024. It covers execution statistics, legislative frameworks, and the abolitionist movement, offering insights on how the international community can help reduce executions.

• Document type NGO report
• Countries list Iran (Islamic Republic of)
• Themes list Clemency / Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment and Punishment / Drug Offenses / Fair Trial / Gender / Intellectual Disability / Juveniles / Legal Representation / Mental Illness / Murder Victims' Families / Women
• Available languages گزارش سالانه اعدام در ایران؛ ۲۰۲۴Rapport annuel sur la peine de mort en Iran

The report sheds light on the Assad regime’s use of the death penalty as an instrument of political repression from the outbreak of the popular uprising in 2011 up until the Assad regime’s downfall on December 8, 2024. In pursuit of this policy, the death penalty was no longer restricted to criminal offenses but became a tool used by the Assad regime to terrorize society, consolidate the regime’s security grip, and eliminate dissidents without fair trials.

• Document type NGO report
• Countries list Syrian Arab Republic
• Themes list Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment and Punishment / Fair Trial / Juveniles / Mental Illness / Terrorism
• Available languages عقوبــــــــة اإلعـــــــدام فـــــــي القــــــوانيــــــنالسوريـــــــــة واستغـــــــالها مـــــن قبــــــلنظام األســـد للقضاء على معارضيه

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