UN Human Rights Treaties

UNITED NATIONS
E
Economic and Social
Council
Distr.
GENERAL
E/CN.4/2006/83
10 February 2006
Original: ENGLISH
COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
Sixty-second session
Item 17 (a) of the provisional agenda
PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS:
STATUS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS
The question of the death penalty
Report of the Secretary-General
Summary
In its resolution 2005/59, the Commission on Human Rights requested the
Secretary-General to submit to the Commission at its sixty-second session, in consultation with
Governments, specialized agencies and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations,
a yearly supplement to his quinquennial report on capital punishment and implementation of the
safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty, paying special
attention to the imposition of the death penalty on persons younger than 18 years of age at the
time of the offence and on persons suffering from any mental or intellectual disabilities (see also
Economic and Social Council resolution 1984/50 of 25 May 1984).
The present report contains information covering the period from January 2004 to
December 2005. The report indicates that the trend towards abolition of the death penalty
continues; this is illustrated, inter alia, by the increase in the number of countries that are
completely abolitionist and by the increase in ratifications of international instruments that
provide for the abolition of this punishment.
GE.06-10711 (E) 150206
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CONTENTS
Paragraphs Page
I. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................... 1 - 4 3
II. CHANGES IN LAW AND PRACTICE ..................................... 5 - 14 4
A. Countries which have abolished the death penalty
for all crimes ........................................................................ 6 4
B. Countries which have abolished the death penalty
for ordinary crimes .............................................................. 7 4
C. Countries which have restricted the scope of the death
penalty or are limiting its use ............................................... 8 - 9 4
D. Countries which have ratified international instruments
that provide for the abolition of the death penalty ............... 10 - 11 5
E. Countries observing a moratorium on executions ............... 12 - 13 5
F. Countries which have reintroduced the use of the death
penalty, extended its scope or resumed executions ............. 14 5
III. ENFORCEMENT OF THE DEATH PENALTY ....................... 15 6
IV. INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS .................................... 16 - 21 6
V. IMPLEMENTATION OF SAFEGUARDS GUARANTEEING
PROTECTION OF THE RIGHTS OF THOSE FACING THE
DEATH PENALTY, PAYING SPECIAL ATTENTION TO
THE IMPOSITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY ON PERSONS
YOUNGER THAN 18 YEARS OF AGE AT THE TIME OF
THE OFFENCE ........................................................................... 22 - 27 7
VI. SUMMARY OF THE STATUS OF THE DEATH PENALTY
WORLDWIDE AS OF 31 DECEMBER 2005 ........................... 28 9
VII. CONCLUSIONS ......................................................................... 29 9
Annexes
I. Tables indicating the status of the death penalty worldwide
as of 31 December 2005 ....................................................................................... 11
II. Summary of comments received from Member States ......................................... 17
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I. INTRODUCTION
1. In paragraph 11 of its resolution 2005/59, the Commission on Human Rights requested
the Secretary-General “to submit to the Commission at its sixty-second session, in consultation
with Governments, specialized agencies and intergovernmental and non-governmental
organizations, a yearly supplement to his quinquennial report on capital punishment and
implementation of the safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the death
penalty,1 paying special attention to the imposition of the death penalty on persons younger
than 18 years of age at the time of the offence and on persons suffering from any mental or
intellectual disabilities”. To date, seven quinquennial reports have been submitted, the most
recent in 2005 (E/2005/3), covering the period from 1999 to 2003. The seventh quinquennial
report was made available to the Commission on Human Rights at its sixty-first session in 2005.2
The present supplemental report contains information covering the period from January 2004 to
December 2005, in order to ensure that there are no gaps in coverage since the last version of the
quinquennial report.
2. The quinquennial reports are prepared by the Office on Drugs and Crime at the
United Nations Office at Vienna on the basis of a detailed questionnaire sent to States. The
reports also draw on other available data, including criminological research, and information
from specialized agencies and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. The
latest quinquennial report provides information on changes in the status of the death penalty and
its enforcement, implementation of the safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those
facing the death penalty, and relevant international developments.
3. For the present supplemental report prepared by the Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Human Rights, and pursuant to Commission on Human Rights
resolution 2005/59, States and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations were
requested to provide information on changes in law and practice concerning the death penalty
and implementation of the safeguards, as applicable. In response, information was received
from the following States: Algeria, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Japan, Mexico, Morocco,
the Philippines, Qatar, the Russian Federation, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, and
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of). This information is summarized in annex II to the present
report and is available in the Secretariat for further consultation. Additionally, the following
organizations sent their publications and other materials addressing the issue discussed in the
report: Amnesty International, Community of Sant’Egidio, the Council of Europe (CoE), and
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
4. Following the practice adopted in quinquennial reports, countries are classified in the
present report as completely abolitionist, abolitionist for ordinary crimes, de facto abolitionist, or
retentionist. Countries that are abolitionist for all crimes, whether in peacetime or in wartime,
are regarded as completely abolitionist. Countries that are regarded as abolitionist for ordinary
crimes are those that abolished the death penalty for all ordinary offences committed in time of
peace. In such countries, the death penalty is retained only for exceptional circumstances, such
as those which may apply in time of war for military offences, or for crimes against the State,
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such as treason or armed insurrection. Countries that retain the death penalty for ordinary crimes
but have not executed anyone during the past 10 years or more are considered abolitionist
de facto. All other countries are defined as retentionist, meaning that the death penalty is in
force and executions do take place, although in many retentionist countries such executions
might be quite rare.
II. CHANGES IN LAW AND PRACTICE
5. Changes in law may include new legislation abolishing or reinstating the death penalty,
or restricting or expanding its scope, as well as ratifications of international instruments that
provide for the abolition of the death penalty. Changes in practice may cover non-legislative
measures with a significant new approach regarding the use of the death penalty; for example,
countries may, while retaining the death penalty, announce a moratorium on its application.
Such changes might also include measures to commute death sentences. Based on the
information received and collected from available sources, the following changes in law and
practice can be reported since 1 January 2004.
A. Countries which have abolished the death penalty for all crimes
6. In March 2004, the death penalty was banned in Bhutan pursuant to a royal decree. In
February 2005, Greece ratified Protocol No. 13 to the European Court of Human Rights
(ECHR), abolishing the death penalty in all circumstances. In January 2004, Samoa abolished
the death penalty by the Crimes (Abolition of Death Penalty) Amendment Act 2004. In
December 2004, the Senegalese parliament passed a law abolishing the death penalty for all
crimes. In 2004, Turkey prohibited the death penalty for all crimes under its constitution and
removed it from its penal code, and, in January 2004, it signed Protocol No. 13 to the ECHR.
In 2005, Liberia and Mexico abolished the death penalty for all crimes.
B. Countries which have abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes
7. During the reporting period, no country abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes
only.
C. Countries which have restricted the scope of
the death penalty or are limiting its use
8. In November 2004, the lower house of parliament in Tajikistan adopted amendments to
the criminal code that provide for life imprisonment for five crimes that have been punishable by
death. These amendments were endorsed by the upper chamber of parliament in February 2005
and signed by the President in March 2005.
9. On 1 March 2005, the United States Supreme Court, in Roper v. Simmons, held that the
imposition of the death penalty on offenders who were under the age of 18 when they committed
the offence was in violation of the United States constitutional ban on cruel and unusual
punishments.
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D. Countries which have ratified international instruments
that provide for the abolition of the death penalty
10. There are one international and three regional instruments in force which commit States
parties to abolishing the death penalty: the Second Optional Protocol to the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR); Protocol No. 6 to the ECHR; Protocol No. 13
to the ECHR; and the Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights (ACHR) to
Abolish the Death Penalty. Protocol No. 6 to the ECHR concerns the abolition of the death
penalty in peacetime. The Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR and the Protocol to the
ACHR provide for the total abolition of the death penalty, but allow States wishing to do so to
retain the death penalty in wartime, if they make a reservation to that effect upon ratification.
Protocol No. 13 concerns the abolition of the death penalty in all circumstances, including for
acts committed in times of war and of imminent threat of war.
11. During the reporting period, five States acceded to the Second Optional Protocol to
the ICCPR, namely, Canada on 25 November 2005, the Czech Republic on 15 June 2004,
Estonia on 30 January 2004, Liberia on 16 September 2005, and San Marino on 17 August 2004.
Turkey signed the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR on 6 April 2004. Two States
ratified Protocol No. 6 to the ECHR, namely, Monaco on 30 November 2005 and Serbia and
Montenegro on 3 March 2004. Thirteen States ratified Protocol No. 13 to the ECHR, namely,
Austria on 12 January 2004, the Czech Republic on 2 July 2004, Estonia on 25 February 2004,
Finland on 29 November 2004, Germany on 10 November 2004, Greece on 1 February 2005,
Iceland on 10 November 2004, Lithuania on 29 January 2004, Monaco on 30 November 2005,
Norway on 16 August 2005, Serbia and Montenegro on 3 March 2004, Slovakia
on 18 August 2005 and The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on 13 July 2004.
E. Countries observing a moratorium on executions
12. In Kyrgyzstan, the Presidential Decree extended an official moratorium until the end
of 2005. In Kazakhstan, the moratorium in place since December 2003 was observed. In the
Russian Federation, a de facto moratorium in place since August 1996 continued to be observed.
On 30 April 2004, the President of Tajikistan introduced a moratorium and signed a subsequent
law to that effect on 15 July 2004. While Uzbekistan continues to impose and execute the death
penalty, in August 2005 the President signed a decree on the abolition of the death penalty as
of 1 January 2008.
13. In 2004, the President of Malawi commuted 79 death sentences. In 2004, the President
of Zambia commuted several death sentences.
F. Countries which have reintroduced the use of the death
penalty, extended its scope or resumed executions
14. In June 2005, several executions were carried out after the Palestinian Authority
authorized the resumption of executions, ending a moratorium of three years. The death
penalty was reinstated in Iraq, with the first executions taking place in August 2005.
On 20 November 2004, the Office of the President in Sri Lanka announced that the death penalty
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will be effective for rape, murder and narcotics dealings. A moratorium on executions had been
in effect since 1976 in Sri Lanka. In April 2004, the first execution took place in Afghanistan
since the establishment of the interim Government in 2001. In August 2004, the first execution
took place in India since the late 1990s.
III. ENFORCEMENT OF THE DEATH PENALTY
15. According to the available figures, at least 7,395 persons were sentenced to death
in 64 countries and at least 3,797 prisoners were executed in 25 countries during 2004.3
IV. INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS
16. The issue remains a regular item on the agenda of the Commission on Human Rights. In
its resolution 2005/59, the Commission called upon all States that still maintain the death penalty
to abolish the death penalty completely and, in the meantime, to establish a moratorium on
executions; to progressively restrict the number of offences for which it may be imposed and, at
the least, not to extend its application to crimes to which it does not at present apply; and to
make available to the public information with regard to the imposition of the death penalty and
to any scheduled execution. The resolution also urged States, inter alia, not to impose the death
penalty for crimes committed by persons below 18 years of age, to exclude pregnant women and
mothers with dependent infants from capital punishment, and not to impose the death penalty on
a person suffering from any mental or intellectual disabilities or to execute any such person.4
17. The Human Rights Committee continued the examination of cases involving capital
punishment under the ICCPR. In Views adopted on 20 and 24 August and 10 December 2004,
13 April, 7 and 16 November 2005,5 the Committee followed its established jurisprudence in
finding violations of the right to life, under article 6 of the ICCPR, by reason of the imposition
(and in the cases of Saidov and Khalilova the carrying out) of the death penalty, in
circumstances in which the individual’s right to a fair trial was not guaranteed. In Views
adopted on 7 September and 8 December 2004 and 25 and 31 October 2005,6 the Committee
referred to its established case law that the automatic and mandatory imposition of the death
penalty constitutes an arbitrary deprivation of life, in violation of article 6, paragraph 1, of the
Covenant, in circumstances where the death penalty is imposed without regard being paid to the
defendant’s personal circumstances or the circumstances of the particular offence. The
automatic imposition of the death penalty in these cases violated the individual’s right to life
under article 6, paragraph 1, of the Covenant.
18. The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers has continued to monitor capital
punishment to ensure compliance with the commitments accepted by all member States of the
Council of Europe within the context of its thematic monitoring procedure. The subject
continues to be considered at meetings of the Ministers’ Deputies at regular intervals “until
Europe has become a de jure death penalty-free zone”. In October 2005, the Committee of
Ministers adopted a decision in which it called on the Russian Federation to take, without delay,
all the necessary steps to transform the existing moratorium on executions into de jure abolition
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of the death penalty and to ratify Protocol No. 6 to the ECHR. It also encouraged those States
which have not yet signed or ratified Protocol No. 13 to do so rapidly. In May and October 2004
respectively, the Committee of Ministers submitted, on behalf of the Council of Europe,
statements of interest in support of two “amicus curiae briefs” prepared by the European Union
for individual death penalty cases7 in the United States of America.
19. The European Court of Human Rights has further recognized the considerable evolution
with regard to the legal position concerning the death penalty. In the Grand Chamber judgement
of 12 May 2005 in Öçalan v. Turkey, the Court noted that capital punishment in peacetime had
come to be regarded as an unacceptable form of punishment which was no longer permissible
under article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, guaranteeing the right to life. The
Court held that the imposition of the death sentence on the applicant following an unfair trial by
a court whose independence and impartiality were open to doubt amounted to inhuman treatment
in violation of article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
20. During its 38th ordinary session in 2005, the African Commission on Human and
Peoples’ Rights adopted a resolution on the composition and the operationalization of the
working group on the death penalty.
21. On 10 October 2005, the World Coalition against the Death Penalty organized the third
World Day against the Death Penalty. The focus was on Africa, as recent developments show a
growing trend towards abolition among African countries.
V. IMPLEMENTATION OF SAFEGUARDS GUARANTEEING
PROTECTION OF THE RIGHTS OF THOSE FACING THE
DEATH PENALTY, PAYING SPECIAL ATTENTION TO
THE IMPOSITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY ON
PERSONS YOUNGER THAN 18 YEARS OF AGE
AT THE TIME OF THE OFFENCE
22. The safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty,
establish that, inter alia: (a) capital punishment may be imposed only for the most serious
crimes; (b) the right to benefit from a lighter penalty if, subsequent to the commission of the
crime, provision is made by law to this effect; (c) persons below 18 years of age at the time they
committed the crime should not be sentenced to death and the death sentence should not be
carried out on pregnant women, new mothers, or persons who have become insane; (d) capital
punishment may be imposed only when guilt is based upon clear and convincing evidence
leaving no room for an alternative explanation of facts; (e) the death sentence may be carried out
only pursuant to a final judgement rendered by a competent court after a legal process which
gives all possible safeguards to ensure a fair trial, including the right of a defendant to adequate
legal assistance; (f) the right to appeal against the death sentence to a court of higher jurisdiction
must be granted; (g) the right to seek pardon or commutation of sentence must be granted;
(h) capital punishment shall not be carried out pending any appeal or other recourse procedure;
and (i) when capital punishment occurs, it shall be carried out so as to inflict minimum suffering.
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23. From among the retentionist countries, Japan, the Philippines and Qatar provided
comments on the implementation of the safeguards (see annex II below).
24. The Commission on Human Rights has consistently requested the Special Rapporteur on
extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions to monitor the implementation of existing
international standards on safeguards and restrictions relating to the imposition of capital
punishment. The Special Rapporteur has continued to take action in situations where there was
concern that these internationally recognized standards were being violated and where the
application of the death penalty may have amounted to a violation of the right to life. With a
view to establishing a constructive dialogue with the Governments, communications were sent,
inter alia, in cases in which defendants were reportedly sentenced to death following the
application of laws or trial proceedings falling short of international fair trial standards; when
capital punishment was imposed for crimes that did not appear to fall within the category of the
most serious crimes; and when the death penalty was imposed by special courts and under
special legislation which failed to provide due process of law. The Special Rapporteur paid
particular attention to situations where the death penalty was imposed as a mandatory measure.
Additionally, the prohibition of capital punishment for juvenile offenders remained of particular
concern to the Special Rapporteur. While the period under review has seen improvement in this
respect, recurring reports that, in a few countries, people were still being sentenced to death for
crimes they had committed when they were under 18 years old have led the Special Rapporteur
to take further action in this regard. Discussions between the Special Rapporteur and these
countries are therefore ongoing.
25. In 2005, the Commission, in its resolution 2005/59, specifically urged all States that still
maintain the death penalty not to impose it “for crimes committed by persons below 18 years of
age” and “on a person suffering from any mental or intellectual disabilities or to execute any
such person”. The Commission also reaffirmed Sub-Commission resolution 2000/17 on
international law and the imposition of the death penalty on those aged under 18 at the time of
the commission of the offence.8 In two additional resolutions adopted in 2005,9 the Commission
called upon all States in which the death penalty has not been abolished to comply with their
obligations as assumed under relevant provisions of international human rights instruments,
including in articles 37 and 40 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and articles 6 and 14
of the ICCPR, keeping in mind the safeguards.
26. During the period from January 2004 to December 2005, the Committee on the Rights of
the Child discussed, during the consideration of their reports, the abolition of the death penalty
for crimes committed by persons under the age of 18 years with five States parties to the
Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Committee welcomed the fact that Armenia had
abolished capital punishment unconditionally10 and that China had eliminated capital punishment
as a sentence for crimes committed while under the age of 18 years.11 However, the Committee
noted with concern that in Nigeria12 and the Islamic Republic of Iran,13 the death penalty
continues to be imposed for crimes committed under the age of 18. In the case of the
Philippines, the Committee noted with appreciation that legal measures had been enacted to
prohibit the imposition of the death penalty for crimes committed while under the age of 18, but
it regretted that persons could be sentenced to death without definite proof of their age.14
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27. As a step towards the total abolition of the death penalty, Amnesty International has
launched an international Stop Child Executions! campaign to end its use against child
offenders.15 Amnesty International also reported that four executions of juvenile offenders took
place in 2004, and eight in 2005.
VI. SUMMARY OF THE STATUS OF THE DEATH PENALTY
WORLDWIDE AS OF 31 DECEMBER 2005
28. The latest quinquennial report and its revised version include a number of tables showing
the status of the death penalty worldwide. Annex I to the present report reproduces some of
these tables and updates them to include developments up to 31 December 2005. Based on the
information provided in annex I, the following table is a summary of the status of the death
penalty worldwide as of 31 December 2005.
Table 1
Summary of the status of the death penalty worldwide
as of 31 December 2005
Number of retentionist countries 65
Number of completely abolitionist countries 85
Number of countries abolitionist for ordinary crimes only 12
Number of countries that can be considered de facto abolitionist 34
VII. CONCLUSIONS
29. The trend towards abolition continues. The number of countries that are completely
abolitionist has risen from 77 to 85. The overall number of retentionist countries decreased
from 66 to 65. There was also a significant increase in the number of countries which have
ratified international instruments providing for the abolition of the death penalty.
Notes
1 The safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty are
contained in Economic and Social Council resolution 1984/50 of 25 May 1984. Economic and
Social Council resolution 1989/64 of 24 May 1989 recommended steps for their implementation.
2 See E/CN.4/2005/94.
3 Amnesty International, “The death penalty worldwide: developments in 2004”
(ACT 50/001/2005), p. 3.
4 Paras. 7 (a-c).
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5 Communication No. 964/2001, Saidova v. Tajikistan and Communication No. 1117/2002,
Khomidov v. Tajikistan, Communication No. 912/2000, Deolall v. Guyana, Communication
No. 973/2001, Khalilova v. Tajikistan, Communication No. 907/2000, Siragev v. Uzbekistan,
Communication No. 985/2001, Aliboeva v. Tajikistan.
6 Communication No. 1167/2003, Rayos v. Philippines, Communication No. 1110/2002,
Rolando v. Philippines, Communication No. 862/1999, Hussain and Hussain v. Guyana,
Communication No. 913/2000, Chan v. Guyana.
7 The first amicus curiae brief, in May 2004, was in the case of Roper v. Simmons,
concerning the application of the death penalty in the United States against persons who were
below 18 years of age at the time of the offence. The second, of October 2004, was in the case
of Jose Medellin and concerns the right of detained foreign nationals to be informed of the right
to consular access (art. 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations).
8 Commission resolution 2005/59, preamble.
9 See Commission resolutions 2005/34 (Extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions),
paragraph 6; and 2005/44 (Rights of the child), paragraph 27 (a).
10 CRC/C/15/Add.225.
11 CRC/C/CHN/CO/2.
12 CRC/C/15/Add.257.
13 CRC/C/15/Add.254.
14 CRC/C/15/Add.258.
15 ACT 50/015/2004.
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ANNEXES
Annex I
TABLES INDICATING THE STATUS OF THE DEATH PENALTY
WORLDWIDE AS OF 31 DECEMBER 2005
Table 1
List of retentionist countries and areasa
Afghanistan Indonesia Saint Lucia
Bahamas Iran (Islamic Republic of) Saint Vincent and the
Bahrain Iraq Grenadines
Bangladesh Japan Saudi Arabia
Belarus Jordan Sierra Leone
Botswana Kazakhstan Singapore
Burundi Kuwait Somalia
Cameroon Kyrgyzstan Sudan
Chad Lebanon Syrian Arab Republic
China Lesotho Taiwan Province of China
Comoros Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Tajikistan
Cuba Malaysia Thailand
Democratic People’s Mongolia Trinidad and Tobago
Republic of Korea Nigeria Uganda
Democratic Republic of Oman United Arab Emirates
the Congo Pakistan United Republic of Tanzania
Egypt Palestine United States of America
Equatorial Guinea Philippines Uzbekistan
Ethiopia Qatar Viet Nam
Guatemala Republic of Korea Yemen
Guinea Russian Federation Zambia
Guyana Rwanda Zimbabwe
India Saint Kitts and Nevis
a The 65 countries and areas listed retain the death penalty for ordinary crimes. Most of
them are known to have carried out executions during the past 10 years. In some cases,
however, it is difficult to ascertain whether or not executions have in fact been carried out.
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Table 2
List of countries that are completely abolitionista
Country or area Date of abolition
for all crimes
Date of abolition for
ordinary crimes
Date of last
execution
Andorra 1990 1943
Angola 1992 ..
Armenia 2003 2003 1993
Australia 1985 1984 1967
Austria 1968 1950 1950
Azerbaijan 1998 1993
Belgium 1996 1950
Bhutan 2004 1964
Bolivia 1995/1997b 1974
Bulgaria 1998 1989
Cambodia 1989 ..
Canada 1998 1976 1962
Cape Verde 1981 1835
Colombia 1910 1909
Costa Rica 1878 ..
Côte d’Ivoire 2000 1960
Croatia 1990 1987
Cyprus 2002 ..
Czech Republic 1990
Denmark 1978 1933 1950
Djibouti 1995 1977c
Dominican Republic 1966 ..
Ecuador 1906 ..
Estonia 1998 1991
Finland 1972 1949 1944
France 1981 1977
Georgia 1997 1994
Germany 1949d e
Greece 2003 1993 1972
Guinea-Bissau 1993 1986
Haiti 1987 1972
Holy See 1969 ..
Honduras 1956 1940
Hungary 1990 1988
Iceland 1928 1830
Ireland 1990 1954
Italy 1994 1947 1947
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Table 2 (continued)
Country or area Date of abolition
for all crimes
Date of abolition for
ordinary crimes
Date of last
execution
Kiribati 1979 1979c
Liberia 2005
Liechtenstein 1987 1785
Lithuania 1998 1995
Luxembourg 1979 1949
Malta 2000 1971 1943
Marshall Islands 1986 1986c
Mauritius 1995 1987
Mexico 2005 1930
Micronesia (Federated
States of)
1986 1986c
Monaco 1962 1847
Mozambique 1990 1986
Namibia 1990 1988
Nepal 1997 1990 1979
Netherlands 1982 1870 1952
New Zealand 1989 1961 1957
Nicaragua 1979 1930
Norway 1979 1905 1948
Palau 1994 1994c
Panama .. 1903
Paraguay 1992 1928
Poland 1997 1988
Portugal 1976 1867 1849
Republic of Moldova 1995 1989
Romania 1989 1989
Samoa 2004 1962
San Marino 1865 1848 1468
Sao Tome and Principe 1990 1975c
Senegal 2004 1967
Serbia and Montenegro 2002
Seychelles 1993 1976c
Slovakia 1990 ..
Slovenia 1989 1957
Solomon Islands 1978 1966 1966f
South Africa 1997 1995 1991
Spain 1995 1978 1975
Sweden 1972 1921 1910
Switzerland 1992 1942 1944
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Table 2 (continued)
Country or area Date of abolition
for all crimes
Date of abolition for
ordinary crimes
Date of last
execution
The former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia
1991 ..
Timor-Lesteg 1999h 1999i
Turkey 2004 2002 1984
Turkmenistan 1999 1997
Tuvalu 1976 1976c
Ukraine 1999 1997
United Kingdom of
Great Britain and
Northern Ireland
1998 1965 1964
(Northern Ireland 1998 1973 ..)
Uruguay 1907 ..
Vanuatu 1980 1980j
Venezuela (Bolivarian
Republic of)
1863 ..
a Total: 85.
b The Constitution of Bolivia, amended in 1995, prohibits the imposition of the death
penalty. However, the Penal Code of 1973 provides for capital punishment. To bring the law in
line with the Constitution, the Congress, by law 1768 of 1997, formally abolished the death
penalty for all ordinary offences and crimes against the security of the State.
c Date of independence. No executions have taken place since that time. The date of the
last execution prior to independence is not available.
d Capital punishment was abolished for all crimes in 1949 in the Federal Republic of
Germany and in 1987 in the former German Democratic Republic.
e The date of the last execution in the former German Democratic Republic is not known.
f Before that year.
g On 20 May 2002, East Timor became independent and is now known as the
Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste.
h Following the popular consultation held on 30 August 1999, in which East Timor voted
for independence from Indonesia, the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor
decided to abolish the death penalty.
i No executions have taken place since the popular consultation. The date of the last
execution prior to the popular consultation is not available.
j Date of independence.
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Table 3
List of countries that are abolitionist for ordinary crimes onlya
Country Date of abolition for
ordinary crimes
Date of last execution
Albania 2000 1995
Argentina 1984 1916
Bosnia and Herzegovina 1997 ..
Brazil 1979 (1882)b 1855
Chile 2001 1985
Cook Islands
Cyprus 1983 1962
El Salvador 1983 1973
Fiji 1999 1964
Israel 1954 1962
Latvia 1999 1996
Peru 1979 1979
a Total: 12 countries.
b The death penalty was abolished in Brazil in 1882, but reintroduced in 1969 for
political crimes only until 1979, when the death penalty was again abolished.
Table 4
List of countries or territories that can be considered de facto abolitionista
Country or territory Date of last execution
Algeria 1993
Antigua and Barbuda 1989
Barbados 1984
Belize 1986
Benin 1989
Brunei Darussalam 1957
Burkina Faso 1989
Central African Republic ..
Congo 1982
Dominica 1986
Eritreab 1989
Gabon 1989
Gambia 1981
Ghana 1993
Grenada 1978
Jamaica 1988
Kenya 1987
Lao People’s Democratic Republic 1989
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Table 4 (continued)
Country or territory Date of last execution
Madagascar 1958
Malawi 1992
Maldives 1952
Mali 1980
Mauritania 1989
Morocco 1993
Myanmar 1989
Nauru 1968c
Niger 1976
Papua New Guinea 1950
Sri Lanka 1976
Suriname 1982
Swaziland 1989
Togo 1979
Tonga 1982
Tunisia 1991
a Total: 34. Countries that retain the death penalty for ordinary crimes but have not
executed anyone during the past 10 years or more. In some of these countries death sentences
continue to be imposed, and not all of the countries listed have a policy of regularly commuting
death sentences.
b Eritrea became independent in 1993.
c Date of independence. No executions have taken place since that time. The date of the
last execution prior to independence is not available.
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Annex II
SUMMARY OF COMMENTS RECEIVED FROM MEMBER STATES
Algeria
1. The Government of Algeria stated that it had acceded to the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights in 1989 but not to its Second Optional Protocol. The legislation
provides for the death penalty for serious crimes concerning State security, terrorism, treason,
espionage and murder. Nevertheless, in 1993, Algeria decided to stay executions of the
death penalty and since then the country has been moving to a progressive suppression of the
death penalty. Since 2001, Algeria has been attempting to reduce the categories of crimes
punishable by the death penalty. As a first step, the death penalty has been suppressed for
economic crimes. Algeria is in the process of revising its domestic legislation, in particular its
penal code, and the abolition of the death penalty is envisaged for several crimes. The new
legislation in penal matters does not contain the death penalty. With regard to the safeguards,
the legislation provides for a fair trial, rights to a defence and to recourse in accordance with
article 14 of the ICCPR, and to petition for pardon with the President. The legislation also
provides various safeguards regarding the carrying out of the death sentence, as specifically
included in Law No. 05-04 of 6 February 2005, including not carrying out the death sentence
until all remedies have been exhausted and the petition for pardon has been refused; the
exclusion of a death sentence and a sentence to life imprisonment for a child below 18 years of
age; non execution of the sentence on a pregnant woman, nursing mother of a child below
24 months of age, or a person with a mental disorder or serious illness. With regard to the
execution of the sentence, the law includes particular provisions taking into account the dignity
of the condemned persons. The sentence could be executed only in a prison and never in public.
Colombia
2. The Government of Colombia stated that there is no death penalty in Colombia.
Costa Rica
3. The Government of Costa Rica stated that it had abolished the death penalty in 1878.
The provision establishing the sanctity of human life was granted constitutional status in 1882.
The Constitution, promulgated in 1949, enshrines this provision. Other legislation, such as the
Extradition Act, contains similar provisions.
Chile
4. The Government stated that in Chile, one of the pillars of the rule of law is the promotion
of the respect for the fundamental rights inherent in the human person, particularly the right to
life as set forth in article 19 (1) of the Constitution and reflected in the abolition of the death
penalty in June 2001. This constitutional provision and the law abolishing the death penalty are
fully consistent with the international instruments to which Chile is a party, especially the
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ICCPR, its Second Optional Protocol, and the Protocol to the American Convention on
Human Rights. Act No. 19 734 of 2001 abolishes the death penalty and replaces it with rigorous
life imprisonment. The Act also provides for the application of the death penalty in time of war,
which remains in force for the offences described in the Code of Military Justice. This is in full
conformity with the reservations entered in respect of the aforementioned protocols.
Japan
5. The Government of Japan listed the offences for which capital punishment may be
imposed. The Government further stated that during the period from 1 January 2004 to
30 September 2005, no person was sentenced to death by a court of first instance; 22 persons
were sentenced to death after the appeal/clemency process had been completed; 3 persons were
executed; and no person had their death sentence overturned by decision of an appeal court or by
presidential or royal commutation or by pardon. As of 30 September 2005, 74 persons were
under sentence of death. The Government believed that the death penalty should be retained, as
the majority of people in Japan recognize the death penalty as a necessary punishment for
grievous crimes. When Japan requests extradition of a person charged with a capital offence in
Japan, it is not possible to provide assurances to the State concerned that capital punishment will
not be carried out.
6. As to the implementation of the safeguards, the Government informed that the law
provides that capital punishment may not be imposed retroactively for offences for which it was
not provided at the time of the offence; a lighter sentence may be substituted for capital
punishment if legislation abolishing capital punishment is passed after the person has been
sentenced to death; a person who committed an offence when under the age of 18 may not be
sentenced to death; pregnant women may not be executed; a person who became insane after
committing the offence and is still insane at the time of going to trial may not be sentenced to
death; a person who became insane after being sentenced to death may not be executed; a person
suffering from mental retardation or extremely limited mental competence may not be sentenced
to death. A person charged with a capital offence has a right in all circumstances laid down in
law to a public hearing, to be presumed innocent until proved guilty, and to the free assistance of
an interpreter from the moment of arrest, if he does not understand or speak the language used by
the police or in court. An offender who is prosecuted has a right to choose his own counsel at
public expense if he does not have the resources to pay for it. The new law will be brought into
force by 27 November 2006, allowing an offender who is arrested and detained but not
prosecuted to have a right to choose his own counsel at public expense if he does not have the
resources to pay for it. All foreign nationals are informed of their right to seek the assistance of
their consular authorities at the time of their arrest and/or committal to prison or custody
awaiting trial. In all death penalty cases, there is a right to appeal to a court of higher
jurisdiction. A person sentenced to capital punishment has 14 days to submit an appeal. Not all
death sentences are automatically reviewed by a court of appeal. A person sentenced to
death has a right to seek commutation of the sentence or a pardon from the State
authorities.
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7. The Government of Japan also stated that until the judgement becomes final through the
procedure of a three-instance system (exceptionally a two-instance system), the death penalty
must not be carried out. The Minister of Justice shall order the death penalty to be carried out
within six months from the day a judgement becomes final. However, in cases where a request
for the recovery of right of appeal or for a retrial, or an extraordinary appeal or a petition or
recommendation for pardon has been made, and/or the term for finishing the procedure thereof
and the term for which the judgements pronounced upon co-defendants, if any, remain
unfinished, these shall not be calculated in the said term. The execution is not suspended until
all avenues of appeal through international bodies have been exhausted, as an appeal to the
international bodies does not legally affect the procedure for the execution of the death penalty.
The law provides for execution by hanging. The Government stated that, from a humanitarian
point of view, execution by hanging is not particularly cruel compared with other ways such as
beheading, shooting, electrocution and lethal gas. The law does not permit executions to take
place in public.
Mexico
8. The Government of Mexico stated that the National Human Rights Commission
(Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos, CNDH) has maintained a consistent position on
the right to life as a basic principle which should apply throughout society. CNDH administers
a programme on prison transfers and the granting of early release, and against the death penalty.
There are currently more than 50 Mexicans under sentence of death in the United States
of America. CNDH, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has continued to
monitor their cases, with a view to obtaining the legal assistance to which they are entitled under
United States law and legal advice for their families, and ensuring that action is taken and
applications made to the competent authorities at the appropriate moment. CNDH also works
with the Ministry to obtain reviews of those sentences under which Mexicans have been
condemned to death in the United States and, in applicable cases, reconsideration of the
proceedings for violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.
9. The Government stated that, on 17 March 2005, the Chamber of Deputies passed a
constitutional amendment explicitly prohibiting the death penalty in Mexico. The measure will
enter into force following acceptance by the State Congresses. On 29 June 2005, a decree
amending various provisions of the Code of Military Justice in order to abolish the death penalty
was published in the Official Gazette and entered into force the following day.
Morocco
10. The Government of Morocco stated that it is committed to bringing its domestic
legislation in line with its international obligations. The Criminal Code is being revised to
progressively reduce the number of offences for which the death penalty is imposed to a
minimum, to include the most serious and reprehensible crimes. National debate on the abolition
of the death penalty is being conducted. This subject was discussed at a seminar on criminal
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policy which was organized by the Ministry of Justice in 2004. The National Charter of
Human Rights of 1990 explicitly appeals for the abolition of the death penalty, and numerous
civil society organizations are making similar demands. If this direction is taken, the issue will
be reflected in the priorities set by the committee responsible for amending the criminal code.
While the Moroccan legislation provides for the death penalty, it is applied only in limited cases
involving serious offences. The courts tend to limit the cases in which death sentences are
handed down. Between 1994 and 2005, a total of 152 death sentences was imposed. The legal
guarantees accorded to persons condemned to death are taken fully into account. Persons with
mental disabilities are exempted from the death penalty and committed to care institutions. In
cases of juvenile offenders, the death penalty is replaced by a prison sentence and committal to a
correctional and reform institution. The work being done by Morocco on the legislative and
judicial front is thus consistent with resolution 2005/59.
The Philippines
11. The Government of the Philippines stated that it had adopted many safeguards, including
that the death penalty may not be imposed retroactively for offences for which it was not
provided at the time of the commission of the offence; that the death penalty shall not be
imposed on a person below 18 years of age at the time of the commission of the crime or when
upon appeal or automatic review by the court of higher jurisdiction the required majority vote is
not obtained for the imposition of the death penalty; and that the death sentence shall not be
inflicted upon a pregnant woman or a mother within one year of giving birth, nor upon any
person over 70 years of age. An offender charged with a capital offence has the right to be
informed of the nature of the charge against him, to have a public hearing, to be presumed
innocent until proved guilty, to have a counsel, to have an appeal and to question the judgement
of conviction before a higher tribunal. The Court of Appeals shall automatically review the
judgement of the trial court imposing the death penalty. If the Court of Appeals finds that the
death penalty should be imposed, it should render the judgement but refrain from making an
entry of the judgement and elevate the entire record to the Supreme Court for review. In all
cases where the death sentence has become final, the records of the case are forwarded
immediately by the Supreme Court to the Office of the President for the possible exercise of the
pardoning power. The imposition of the death penalty is not mandatory; the courts are mandated
by the revised penal code to consider both the attendant circumstances of the offence and the
offender before they can impose the death penalty. There is a presidential moratorium on the
execution of those sentenced to death, except those convicted of kidnapping and drug-related
offences. Since March 2000, when the former President announced a suspension of executions,
nobody has been executed. There have been significant recent moves in the 13th Congress
towards the abolition of the death penalty. There are currently 20 bills providing for the
abolition of the death penalty pending before the House of Representatives, and the Senate is
also considering similar bills.
Qatar
12. The Government of Qatar stated that it had acceded to the Convention on the Rights of
the Child in 1995. Article 53 of the Qatar Penal Code No. 11 of 2004 stipulates that “[n]o one
shall be held criminally liable for a crime which he committed when he was below 7 years of
age. The measures enumerated in the Juveniles Act shall be applied to anyone who commits a
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serious or lesser offence when he is over 7 and below 14 years of age”. Article 8 of the
Juveniles Act No. 1 of 1994 prescribes the penalties that may be imposed on minors, which do
not include capital punishment. Article 19 states that “if a minor commits a serious or lesser
offence, he may not be sentenced to capital punishment”. The Government noted that it can thus
be understood that the laws of Qatar do not permit the imposition of the death penalty on minors.
Furthermore, article 54 of the Criminal Code stipulates that “[n]o person shall be held criminally
liable for a crime that that person committed while being unable to understand what he was
doing owing to madness or mental infirmity”. Article 44 (2) of the Prisons Act No. 3 of 1995
states “where a physician deems it necessary to suspend the imposition of any penalty, in view of
a prisoner’s physical or mental health, he must inform the prison warden of this in writing,
indicating the type of treatment that the prisoner should be given. The prison warden must
comply with the physician’s recommendations and duly notify the director of prisons”. The
Government pointed out that the laws of Qatar do not permit the attachment of criminal
responsibility to persons who are mentally disabled. Consequently, the death penalty is not
imposed on anyone who is medically proven to be suffering from any form of mental infirmity.
Russian Federation
13. The Government of the Russian Federation stated that upon joining the Council of
Europe, it had undertaken the obligation to sign during 1996, and to ratify no later than
28 February 1999, Protocol No. 6 to the ECHR as well as to introduce, without further delay, a
moratorium on the carrying out of death sentences. Article 20 of the Constitution of the
Russian Federation allows for the establishment by federal law of the death penalty as an
exceptional form of punishment for particularly serious crimes against life, and does not make
a distinction between wartime and peacetime. The article refers explicitly to the possibility
of abolishing the death penalty, with a view to its total abolition. Since 1996, there has
been a moratorium on executions in the Russian Federation. On 16 April 1997, the
Russian Federation signed Protocol No. 6 to the ECHR but has not yet ratified it. In 1999, the
Constitutional Court prohibited the handing down of death sentences pending the introduction
of trial by jury throughout the country. In August 1999, the President submitted bills to
Parliament concerning the abolition of the death penalty and the ratification of Protocol No. 6.
14. The Government stated that the abolition of the death penalty is one of the aims of the
judicial and legal reforms under way. However, in recent years, there has been a steady rise in
incidents of particularly serious crimes, many of which have provoked a major public outcry.
Moreover, there has recently been a rise in the activities of criminal terrorist groups, which carry
out acts that cause the death of hundreds of people and have other serious consequences. In light
of the intense public debate on the abolition of the death penalty, the President has consistently
opposed the idea of imposing harsher penalties and resuming the application of the death
penalty. The forthcoming introduction of trial by jury throughout the Russian Federation would
make it possible, in theory, to repeal the Constitutional Court’s ban on the handing down of
death sentences. However, even if that comes to pass, the President’s moratorium on executions
will remain in force. On the other hand, the introduction of trial by jury and the recent adoption
of the new Code of Criminal Procedure should prompt members of Parliament to speed up
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ratification of Protocol No. 6, which will result in the legislative abolition of the death penalty in
accordance with the Russian Federation’s international obligations. In practical terms, the
Russian Federation considers the next step towards the legislative abolition of the death penalty
to be the ratification of Protocol No. 6, preparations for which are well under way. The question
of the Russian Federation’s accession to Protocol No. 13 to the ECHR, which for all intents and
purposes will replace Protocol No. 6 for the States that have acceded to it, may be taken up at a
later stage.
Singapore
15. The Government of Singapore stated that there is no international consensus that capital
punishment should be abolished. This is abundantly evident from the deliberations at the
Commission where many countries disagreed with the premise of resolution 2005/59. Capital
punishment is first and foremost a criminal justice issue. The rights of the victims and the right
of the community to live in peace and security must be considered. States must be free to pursue
policies and measures to protect the rights of victims and to deter crime. The question of
whether to retain or abolish capital punishment should be carefully studied by each State, taking
into account the values of its people, the crime situation, and criminal policy. States have the
sovereign right to retain the use of the death penalty for most serious crimes, as long as this is
accompanied by appropriate judicial safeguards. The ICCPR explicitly recognizes the right of a
State to impose the death sentence. Article 6 (2) states that “sentence of death may be imposed
only for the most serious crimes in accordance with the law in force”.
16. The Government stated that the Commission resolution raises the broader issue of
whether some States have the right to impose their values on others as a universal concern.
While there are certain values that are clearly universal or may be evolving towards universality,
others are still far from universally accepted. Respect for human rights must include respect for
differences in systems and practices. Any new international human rights standard should
evolve only from real consensus. To try to force the abolition of the death penalty in the absence
of such consensus would damage the credibility of the Commission and be counterproductive to
its work.
Slovakia
17. The Government of Slovakia stated that both its Constitution and the Penal Code
guarantee an absolute prohibition of the death penalty, including in both peacetime and time of
war. The Slovak Republic is a traditional co-sponsor of the Commission resolution on the death
penalty. It ratified the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR on 22 June 1999, Protocol No. 6
to the ECHR on 18 March 1992, and Protocol No. 13 to the ECHR on 20 July 2005.
Slovenia
18. The Government of Slovenia stated that article 17 of its Constitution stipulates that
“there is no capital punishment in Slovenia”. Slovenia ratified Protocol No. 6 to the ECHR on
28 June 1994, Protocol 13 to the ECHR on 4 December 2003, and the Second Optional Protocol
to ICCPR on 10 March 1994.
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Turkey
19. The Government of Turkey stated that the death penalty was abolished in Turkey.
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
20. The Government stated that Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela abolished the death
penalty in 1864 as well as imprisonment in perpetuity, for all crimes. Venezuela thus became
the first country in the world to abolish the death penalty. The Constitution confirms the
determination of Venezuela to protect human life by prohibiting the death penalty, and commits
it to protecting the life of persons deprived of their liberty. Furthermore, the Criminal Code
(Partial Reform) Act of 2005 establishes that “… [e]xtradition shall not be granted for a
foreigner accused of a crime which is liable to the death penalty or imprisonment in perpetuity
under the legislation of the requesting country”. Venezuela committed itself to the abolition of
the death penalty in all countries, and is a party to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
the ICCPR and its Second Optional Protocol, and the ACHR.
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