In 1981, a new victory for human dignity took place on the long road to universal abolition: France finally abolished the death penalty. Today, 113 countries have abolished the death penalty for all crimes. But the fight continues for the universal abolition of the death penalty.
45 years earlier, the death penalty was still a reality in France. It was in 1981 that the country turned away from this sentence from another age. Every year, October 9, World Day for the Abolition of the Death Penalty, is an opportunity to celebrate this historic act, the day when France put an end to intentional and premeditated homicides and state assassinations.
Since that date, regardless of the governments, France has always affirmed its opposition, in all circumstances, to capital punishment. Today, the abolition of the death penalty has made progress, little by little, victory after victory, country after country.
An uninterrupted fight
In 1977, we launched our fight by organizing a conference which concluded with the adoption of the Stockholm Declaration, a founding text for the universal abolition of the death penalty. At that time, only 16 countries had completely abolished the death penalty. Today, thanks to your mobilization,145 countries, more than two-thirds of the world’s countries, have abolished the death penalty in law or in practice. Enormous and measurable progress continues to be made even if a final third of countries remain to be convinced.
In 1979, we published our first global statistical report on the death penalty. From that moment on, we became a global benchmark for observing and reporting on death sentences handed down and executions carried out by governments around the world.
We have campaigned tirelessly on emblematic cases which have clearly highlighted the unjust nature of the death penalty, like Troy Davis, a young African-American sentenced to death in the state of Georgia and executed in 2011. His story has brought the need to fight against the arbitrary application of capital punishment in the United States. More recently, our organization took action on behalf of Rocky Myers, the first black person to be pardoned in the United States in 2025.
We also supported the abolitionist movement internationally. We were a founding member of the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty in 2002 and helped create an Asian Anti-Death Penalty Network in 2006. In 2007, we delivered more than five million signatures to the United Nations in support of a global suspension of all executions. A month later, the UN will adopt its first resolution on the suspension of executions.
Towards universal abolition
This positive dynamic towards abolition continues today. In 2025, Vietnam abolished the death penalty for eight crimes and The Gambia abolished the death penalty for the crimes of murder, treason and other offenses against the state. In Lebanon and Nigeria, bills aimed at abolition are currently being examined before the legislative assemblies.
As the world gradually moves toward total abolition, we must not let our guard down. In 2025, more than 2,700 executions have been recorded worldwide, a jump of 78% in one year. A small handful of states including China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United States continue to use the most cruel and inhumane punishment in existence.
Because the death penalty is irreversible, universal abolition must be as well. We will fight tirelessly until this inhuman punishment completely disappears.
Death penalty report 2025
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