#Human Rights Now » Feed Human Rights Now » Comments Feed Human Rights Now » 10 Reasons Death Penalty Abolition is Coming Comments Feed Search this site: _______________ Search Amnesty International USA * News * Events * Blog * Research * Store * Our Work * Get Involved * Donate * About Us Human Rights Now Blog 10 Reasons Death Penalty Abolition is Coming By Brian Evans October 10, 2012 at 12:17 PM * * Tweet * IFRAME: http://www.youtube.com/embed/UtLxXU0Gotk?feature=oembed Today is the 10th World Day Against the Death Penalty, an annual October 10 event created by the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty of which Amnesty International is a founding member. Since that first World Day on Oct. 10, 2003, executions are on the wane both here in the U.S. and around the world. Here are 10 reasons to celebrate 10 years of progress this World Day: 1. 97 Countries Have Abolished the Death Penalty At the end of 2003, 80 countries had abolished the death penalty for all crimes. The number now stands at 97. Overall, more than two-thirds (140) of the world’s countries are now abolitionist in law or practice. 2. US Death Sentences at All-Time Low Death sentences in the U.S. dropped to 78 in 2011, representing the lowest figure since the 1970s. Executions in the US have dropped by a third, and death sentences almost by half, in the last decade. 3. Five More US States Outlaw Death Penalty Since 2003, five U.S. states – Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York – have abolished the death penalty in the past ten years. Now 17 states are abolitionist in law. And in less than a month, California will be voting on replacing its death penalty. 4. Less Countries in Africa & Middle East Executing The number of countries executing and passing death sentences in the Middle East and North Africa has decreased. Africa is the continent with the highest number of abolitions over the past decade. 5. Mass Commutations & Pardons There were mass commutations or pardons in several countries during the last ten years. All death sentences were commuted in the Philippines, Ghana, Tanzania, Cuba, Myanmar, and Sierra Leone. 6. No More Juvenile Executions in US No juvenile offender has been executed in the U.S. since 2003. In March 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the death penalty for people under 18 at the time of the crime was “cruel and unusual punishment”. The Roper v. Simmons decision spared the lives of over 70 child offenders on U.S. death rows. 7. Declines for Two Big Executioners Internationally, the number of countries known to have carried out executions has declined. And a significant decrease in the implementing of death sentences has been recorded in countries with previously high execution rates such as Egypt and Singapore. Singapore has in fact announce a moratorium on executions. 8. UN Passes 3 Resolutions for Global Moratorium The UN General Assembly (UNGA) has adopted three resolutions calling for a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty. The adoption of these resolutions has put abolition squarely on the global agenda. 9. Power of the People Several times in recent years widespread and very vocal opposition to the death penalty has emerged around executions in cases that showed the inherent cruelty and failure of the death penalty. In Iran, Gambia, and the USA, executions have provoked intense regional and international public opposition and protests. 10. Victims’ Families Are Speaking Out Family members of murder victims who actively oppose the death penalty have become a stronger voice. For example, the family of Chong Hoon Mah, a South Korean immigrant to the U.S. who was shot and killed by Johnnie Baston in 1994 in Ohio, opposed the death penalty in his case because of their belief that it was incompatible with their respect for human life. In another U.S. case, Rais Bhuiyan, who survived being shot by Mark Stroman in 2001 in one of a series of racist violent crimes committed in reaction to the 9/11 attacks, campaigned against Stroman’s execution in Texas. More recently, the widow of a man killed by Terrance Williams in Pennsylvania continues to oppose the execution of her husband’s killer. Public opinion on the death penalty has shifted dramatically over the last ten years, as more voices, like victim’s family members, have come out against it. The trends are clear. Abolition is coming. This entry was posted in Death Penalty, Prisoners and People at Risk, USA and tagged abolish the death penalty, abolition, death penalty, death sentences, executions, juvenile offenders, lethal injection, U.N. General Assembly, u.s. scheduled executions, UN resolutions, victims families, World Day Against the Death Penalty by Brian Evans. Bookmark the permalink. Related Posts * 2011: Five Good Signs For Death Penalty Abolition in the US * Death Penalty Downward Spiral Continues * Death Penalty Abolition: Five States That Could Be Next About Brian Evans Brian Evans is the Director of Amnesty International USA’s Death Penalty Abolition Campaign. View all posts RSS Feed @BRCEvans on Twitter AIUSA welcomes a lively and courteous discussion that follow our Community Guidelines. Comments are not pre-screened before they post but AIUSA reserves the right to remove any comments violating our guidelines. 7 thoughts on “10 Reasons Death Penalty Abolition is Coming” 1. Thomas Rykala on October 11, 2012 at 4:18 PM said: No, the trends are not clear. SCOTUS is not going to reverse itself and declare the death penalty as unconstitutional. The Justices, infact, have a pretty strong record of allowing executions to go forward, and as long as we have a conservative majority – death penalty will withstand all assaults by AIUSA and other groups. Victims' families voices are split down the middle somewhere, so it is not a clear trend either. UNGA has no jurisdiction in the United States and the SCOTUS has made that clear in many of its rulings. I am not concerned about recent the anti-death penalty referendum pending in CA. The support for now is weak at best. 2. Thomas Rykala on October 14, 2012 at 2:23 AM said: Capital punishment is alive and well and not yet on any live support. It will be there long after these absurd comments and insults!!! 3. john levine on October 20, 2012 at 9:38 PM said: Are there currently any protest groups in NYc who actively fight the Federal Death Penalty? 4. Thomas Rykala on October 22, 2012 at 1:17 PM said: Mr. Evans – commenting on the Gov Perry post was disabled not even having reached a week in its publication (10/17/12 to 10/22/12). Please let know what the reason for this cutoff may be: too political, touching on religion now, or some other issue. Just curious? 5. Thomas Rykala on October 23, 2012 at 9:53 AM said: Apparently Mr. Evans thinks he is above the users of this website to respond to a simple question. Maybe a response would open a flood gate to some of the concerns I addressed in my question? Either way, I am of the opinion that openly criticizing the Gov is not going to win the day for AIUSA in Texas. The reason being that the Gov has major support in Texas from the majority of Texans and AIUSA is precisely striving to win their support. Better it would have been to criticize the death penalty for what it is and not lodge a personal attack on the Gov and the state this organization wants to win. Senator Whitmire may be very upset…Not smart AIUSA… 6. Thomas Rykala on October 25, 2012 at 12:10 PM said: Victims' families are sepaking out: The family of MICHELLE WENDY HAUPT, the murder victim of Bobby "Ice Pick" Hines, was elated that he was executed but also saddened he got off easier than their daughter. They are indeed speaking out… 7. Thomas Rykala on October 26, 2012 at 12:17 PM said: No petition to stop the execution of Donnie Lee Roberts? 10/31/12 is three business days away. Better hurry…. 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