End Death Penalty

Today, on #WorldDayAgainstDeathPenalty, we unite to challenge the myth that the death penalty protects anyone. Join us in calling for its abolition. #NoDeathPenalty

🚨The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention finds the detention & executions of Egyptian nationals to be arbitrary. Read our joint press release with @MideastDC, @ALQST_En, @ESOHumanRights, @Reprieve & @Sinaifhr ⬇️ menarights.org/en/articles/un…

#HRC61 | True to Robert Badinter’s legacy, France 🇫🇷 remains firmly committed to the universal abolition of the death penalty. Amid alarming increases in executions, 🇫🇷 hosted a dedicated side-event in Geneva, ahead of the World Congress in Paris at the end of June.

🚨The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention calls for immediate release of two Saudi Shi’a protestors sentenced to death. Read MENA Rights Group's and @ESOHumanRights' joint press release on the adoption of the Opinion ⬇️ menarights.org/en/articles/un…

🔴The Judiciary of the Islamic Republic announced the public execution of three individuals detained during the January protests on the morning of Thursday, March 19, 2026, in the city of Qom. 🔸 According to the Judiciary news agency, the death sentences of Mehdi Ghasemi, Saleh Mohammadi, and Saeid Davoudi were carried out on charges of "Moharebeh" (enmity against God) and the alleged killing of two police officers. The judiciary claims that during the protests on January 8, 2026, these individuals attacked the officers with cold weapons. 🔸The judiciary further cited severe security charges, including "operational activities for the Zionist regime and the hostile government of the United States" and "inciting people to war and killing to disturb national security." Attaching such security labels alongside murder charges is a recurring pattern used by the state to strip protests of their civil dimensions and justify death sentences issued in expedited and opaque legal proceedings. 🔸While state media emphasizes the presence of defense counsel, the extreme opacity of political-security cases and the heavy reliance on defendant admissions have heightened concerns regarding "forced confessions" obtained under pressure and torture. These public executions signal the government's weaponization of the death penalty to instill terror and deter potential future protests. #Iran

State media reported the executions of protesters Saleh Mohammadi, Saeed Davodi and Mehdi Ghasemi who were accused of participating in the murders of two policemen during protests in Qom on 8 January 2026. The executions were carried out “in the presence of a group of people in Qom.” The three protesters are the first to be hanged in relation to the December 2025/January 2026 nationwide protests. Condemning the executions in the strongest terms, IHRNGO warns about the danger of the mass execution of protesters and political prisoners in the coming weeks. IHRNGO Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said: “The protesters executed today were sentenced to death following grossly unfair trials, based on confessions extracted under torture and coercion. We consider these executions to constitute extrajudicial killings, carried out with the intent of creating terror to suppress political dissent. The Islamic Republic is fighting for its survival and knows that the greatest threat to its existence comes from the Iranian people who demand fundamental change.” He added: “We are facing a very real and imminent risk of mass executions of protesters. The international community must act with urgency. The European Union, in particular, has an important role to play and should use all available diplomatic tools to help prevent further executions and protect the lives of those at risk.” #NoDeathPenalty iranhr.net/en/articles/86…

At least 1,212 people were executed for drug-related offences worldwide. This represents a 97% increase from 2024. Drug offences were responsible for over 46% of all executions confirmed globally.

Our flagship report on the death penalty for drugs continues our work of providing regular updates on legislative, policy and practical developments related to the use of capital punishment for drug offences.

Kendrick Simpson, executed by the state of Oklahoma on February 12, was a prolific poet that used the artform to hold onto his human dignity while on death row. The poem “Who Am I?” is Kendrick’s answer to the very question the title poses and speaks to the complicated human experience of facing one’s actions that have caused grave harm. This year we remember that the death penalty perpetuates cycles of violence, not just with the ending of human life. The death penalty ends the human creative spirit, but you can use your artistic talents to uplift the dignity of the men and women on death row in our country. The 2026 Justice & Mercy Poetry Contest is still accepting entries until March 30 at 11:59 p.m. Through this contest, we honor Kendrick Simpson’s memory and turn to poetry as an avenue to advocate for an end to the death penalty. 💻 Submit your entry at catholicsmobilizing.org/poetry

@PACE_LegalHR committee expresses “deep concern” over proposals to expand the death penalty in #Israel, warning of “potential discriminatory effects against Palestinians”. 🔗More: pace.coe.int/en/news/10222/…

📢 ACHPR is now calling for info from orgs + experts working on #prison reform and #detention conditions. 👉Call for Information: achpr.au.int/fr/news/commun… 👉Implementation Committee Notice: achpr.au.int/fr/news/commun… ℹ️More info: linkedin.com/feed/update/ur…

🔸The Iranian judicial system operates with extreme opacity, particularly in political cases where national security offenses, including espionage, have long been weaponized to silence dissent. This lack of transparency masks a broader pattern of state-sanctioned violence. Read our latest reports on the abuse of the death penalty against alleged drug offenders and espionage charges here:⬇️ iranrights.org/library/docume…

🔴Kourosh Keivani has been executed on charges of providing "images and information of sensitive national sites" to Israel. 🔸The judiciary of the Islamic Republic announced that Keivani was hanged on Wednesday morning, March 18, 2026, for "spying for Israel." However, no information regarding his legal proceedings or the details of his case has been made public. #KouroshKeivani

Since the outbreak of war and amid the continuing nationwide internet shutdown, IHRNGO has received alarming reports regarding the situation of prisoners in Iran. Reports indicate a pattern of serious human rights violations, including food shortages, the closure of prison commissaries, denial of adequate medical care, unsanitary and degrading detention conditions, severe restrictions on prisoners’ access to basic necessities, arbitrary transfers and the increasing militarisation of prisons. In at least two prisons, these conditions have led to protests by prisoners and collective hunger strikes. At least one prisoner has died as a result of being denied medical care. Iran Human Rights has received alarming reports about conditions in prisons across Iran since the start of the war on 28 February 2026. The control of a number of prisons in Khorasan Razavi, Isfahan, Lorestan, West Azerbaijan, Qom, Qazvin and Tehran have reportedly been fully handed over to NOPO counter-terrorism special units, creating heavily militarised environments in the prisons. According to reports received by IHRNGO, while many prisoners convicted of financial crimes and lighter charges have been temporarily furloughed, death row prisoners, prisoners of conscience and those serving lengthy sentences have been left behind in deteriorating conditions or transferred to unknown locations. #NoDeathPenalty iranhr.net/en/articles/86…

Does the legal system deliver the same version of justice for all genders? Today, we’re listening to advocates unpack how gender shapes experiences in the justice system — where women and other gender‑marginalised people especially often face unique barriers. @PusatRakyatLB

امروز صد و دوازدهمین هفتهٔ «سه‌شنبه‌های نه به اعدام» است. همچنین سومین هفته‌ای است که ایران در سایهٔ جنگ با قطع گستردهٔ اینترنت روبه‌روست. امروز زندانیان در ۵۶ زندان در سراسر کشور در اعتراض به مجازات اعدام دست به اعتصاب غذای جمعی زده‌اند و خواهان لغو این مجازات هستند. قطع اینترنت که از نخستین روز جنگ، در ۲۸ فوریه، اعمال شده، باعث شده سازمان‌های حقوق بشری نتوانند موارد نقض حقوق بشر از جمله اعدام‌ها را مستندسازی کنند. در همین حال، ده‌ها زندانی سیاسی در خطر اعدام‌های مخفیانه قرار دارند و شرایط زندان‌ها همچنان رو به وخامت است. در هفتهٔ گذشته، مقامات جمهوری اسلامی هشدار داده‌اند که با کسانی که «در فضای مجازی ناآرامی ایجاد کنند» و با معترضانی که به خیابان بیایند، به‌عنوان دشمن برخورد خواهد شد. هم‌زمان، رسانه‌های حکومتی از صدها بازداشت با اتهامات جاسوسی در ارتباط با جنگ خبر داده‌اند. در این شرایط، صدای همهٔ زندانیان باشیم. #سازمان_حقوق_بشر_ایران #کارزار_جهانی_نه_به_اعدام_در_ایران #سه‌شنبه‌های_نه_به_اعدام #نه_به_اعدام

Did you know that the death penalty disproportionately affects people from disadvantaged backgrounds? A large majority of women sentenced to death are from ethnic and racial minorities, are non-literate, have intellectual or psychological disabilities, and have experienced

The WCADP’s online learning platform is now live — designed to strengthen knowledge, advocacy and global action to end the death penalty. 📚 For who? Activists, NGOs, students, researchers, lawyers, and anyone interested in abolition. 🌍 How to access? 👉 e-learning.worldcoalition.org

⚠️An attack on one human rights defender is a threat to all⚠️ On 16 March 2026, the Advocacy Team for Democracy (TAUD), in a press conference elaborated numerous findings that the acid attack on KontraS Deputy Coordinator Andrie Yunus was likely premeditated. Allegations of surveillance and tailing of Andrie prior to the incident suggest that this was not a spontaneous act of violence.

We are pleased to share our Annual Report 2024-25, with updates on our research projects, recent publications, and impact & engagement activities - with thanks to the many partner organisations worldwide that we collaborated with during this period: law.ox.ac.uk/content/news/d…