INDEX

Check what you can do for 10 October. Browse the calendar of events and the map to prepare and promote the events planned around the world on the big day.

On 14 September 2016, Togo acceded to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on the abolition of the death penalty, joined on 21 September 2016 by the Dominican Republic. These accessions make abolition of the death penalty in Togo and the Dominican Republic irreversible.

The World Coalition Against the Death Penalty is looking for an intern for a period of 6 months, starting mid-September.

Guinean Parliament put an end to Guinea’s de facto moratorium by abolishing the death penalty in law in this country.

In addition to the academic debates and workshops, the organizers of the Congress had also prepared a nice surprise, on June 22nd, with the main event of their cultural program, soberly entitled “Living with the death penalty”. This event was hosted by Will Francome, a director involved in anti-death penalty work, and represented the opportunity to let these direct “witnesses” of the capital punishment speak about what brought them to be sentenced to death, their experiences on death row, and mostly the journey of their reintegration upon their release from death row. It also allowed relatives of current or former death row inmates to testify of their own fight, in favor of their family member as well as all the other individuals who had to go through this.

On the occasion of the 6th World Congress Against the Death Penalty held on 21-23 June this year, the World Coalition gathered in Oslo, with about 150 delegates attending the Congress representing more than 50 member organizations.

From 21th to 23rd of June, the 6th World Congress against the death penalty took place in Oslo. These three days constituted an opportunity to gather the civil society, the political actors and lawyers worldwide, in order to discuss strategies aiming at abolishing the death penalty around the world. Among the noteworthy debates which were organized during this congress, the roundtable that was dedicated to terrorism (being also the theme of the next World Day against the death penalty, organized by the World Coalition) raised significant issues related to the use of the death penalty while countering terrorism.

In the context of the 6th World Congress Against the Death Penalty, the World Coalition together with Hands Off Cain and Amnesty International co-hosted a side event focusing on the 6th UNGA resolution for a moratorium on the use of the death penalty, whose adoption will be decided in New York in December this year.

Nauru recently ended its de facto moratorium by abolishing the death penalty in law.

An Iranian Court has sentenced the prominent human rights defender Narges Mohammadi to 16 years in prison. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison for her peaceful anti-death penalty activities with the Campaign “LEGAM” (Step by step for abolition of the death penalty). Iran Human Rights (IHR) calls for immediate international reactions. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson of IHR, said: ” Despite President Rouhani’s promises of respecting civil rights, Iranian authorities’ tolerance for peaceful civil activities is record low”.