General
World Coalition Against the Death Penalty
The World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, an alliance of more than 120 NGOs, bar associations, local authorities and unions, was created in Rome on 13 May 2002. It was founded as a result of the commitment made by the signatories of the Final Declaration of the 1st World Congress Against the Death Penalty organised by the French NGO Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM) in Strasbourg in June 2001. The Coalition has made 10 October the World Day Against the Death Penalty. The first occurrence of this annual event took place in 2003. In 2007, the Council of Europe and the European Union officially recognised the World Day as European Day Against the Death Penalty. The Coalition supports many campaigns to end the death penalty, including the UN Moratorium on executions and the UN Protocol on abolition. The Coalition’s site is also available in French, Russian and several other languages.
Amnesty International
A.I. publishes the most reliable data on the status of the death penalty worldwide, as well as information on individual death sentences and executions. It supports the UN Moratorium on executions and many other abolitionist actions and campaigns. Their site is also available in French and Spanish.
Hands off Cain!
Based in Italy and affiliated to the Transnational Radical Party, the NGO Nessuno Tocchi Caino follows worldwide developments concerning capital punishment and campaigns for its abolition. It maintains a comprehensive database of laws and facts about capital punishment since 1999. The site is also available in English.
Fédération internationale des ligues des droits de l'homme (FIDH)
FIDH calls for: the abolition of the death penalty for all crimes; a moratorium on executions; the universal ratification of treaties providing for abolition, including the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Their site is also available in English and Spanish.
La peine de mort dans le monde
A francophone site on the factual and legal status of capital punishment internationally and in individual countries, with an emphasis on France and the U.S.A. Published by a French lawyer, Sophie Fotiadi since 1998.
Death Penalty Worldwide
A reliable database on the application of the death penalty in retentionist countries. Also available in French.
The Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network (ADPAN) is an independent cross-regional network, working to end to the death penalty in the Asia Pacific region. Itis made up of NGOs, organizations, civil society groups, lawyers and individual members from 26 countries.
Intergovernmental Organizations
United Nations
United Nations call upon its members to abolish the death penalty. This link leads to news about UN activities against the death penalty.
Council of Europe
Under its motto, “The Council of Europe is a death penalty free area”, this organization requires its members to abolish capital punishment. As a result, there were no executions in any of the 47 European countries since 1997.
European Union
Capital punishment has been fully abolished in all EU members. The organization calls upon retentionist countries throughout the world to follow the suit.
By Country
Australia
Law Council of Australia
Austria
History of the death penalty in Austria. In German only.
Belgium
La Belgique et la peine de mort. In French only.
Canada
History of the death penalty in Canada
France
Capital punishment in France from the revolution to the abolition. In French only.
Germany
German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty.
The GCADP orientates itself on the contents of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights with its additional protocols and other human rights conventions.
We hold the view that the death penalty is a gruesome form of punishment which violates human dignity.
We respect the captive as a person without accepting his crime.
Our activity is focused on detailed educational work, party-neutral political commitment and the support of prisoners.
Todesstrafe.de. In German only.
Italy
Coalizione Italiana Contro la Pena di Morte. Also available in English.
Japan
Japan Innocence & Death Penalty Research Center
Norway
Capital Punishment in Norway. In Norwegian only.
Spain
History of the Death Penalty. In Spanish only.
Switzerland
History of the death penalty in Switzerland. In German only.
United Kingdom
Capital Punishment U.K.
United States of America
Campaign to End the Death Penalty
Coalition for Thruth and Justice
Death Penalty Information Center
Death Penalty News and Updates
Journey of Hope
Legal Information Institute. Cornell University Law School