《WHEN THE STATE KLLS》

1 Why abolish the death penalty?1

2 The test of logic and experience9

Deterrence10

Preventing prisoners from repeating their offences14

Retribution16

The death penalty and political violence19

Drug-trafficking20

Public opinion22

The financial cost24

Alternative punishments24

3 The death penalty in practice27

The death penalty and discrimination27

Is the death penalty used arbitrarily?30

Risks to the innocent31

Clemency as a safeguard33

Violations of international restrictions and safeguards34

Restriction to the 'most serious crimes': the death penalty as an exceptional punishment35

Non-retroactive use37

Exclusion of young people38

Exclusion of the elderly39

Exclusion of pregnant women and new mothers40

Exclusion on grounds of mental incapacity41

Unfair trials42

An instrument of political repression46

4 The cruelty of the death penalty54

Methods of execution54

Waiting for execution61

The ritual of execution65

Effects of executions on others67

5 Towards worldwide abolition71

A step forward: commutation of sentences73

Official commissions on the death penalty75

The death penalty and medical ethics77

International treaties to abolish the death penalty82

Non-extradition from abolitionist countries85

The decision not to reintroduce the death penalty86

The death penalty worldwide95

Afghanistan97

Albania98

Algeria99

Andorra99

Angola100

Anguilla101

Antigua and Barbuda101

Argentina102

Australia102

Austria103

The Bahamas103

Bahrain104

Bangladesh104

Barbados106

Belgium107

Belize108

Benin108

Bermuda109

Bhutan109

Bolivia110

Botswana110

Brazil111

British Virgin Islands111

Brunei Darussalam112

Bulgaria112

Burkina Faso113

Burma114

Burundi114

Cameroon115

Canada116

Cape Verde117

Cayman Islands117

Central African Republic117

Chad118

Chile119

China121

Colombia123

Comoros123

Congo123

Costa Rica124

C?te d'Ivoire125

Cuba125

Cyprus127

Czechoslovakia127

Denmark128

Djibouti128

Dominica129

Dominican Republic129

Ecuador129

Egypt130

ElSalvador131

Equatorial Guinea132

Ethiopia133

Fiji134

Finland134

France134

Gabon135

Gambia135

German Democratic Republic136

Germany (Federal Republic of)137

Ghana137

Greece138

Grenada139

Guatemala140

Guinea141

Guinea-Bissau142

Guyana143

Haiti144

Honduras144

Hong Kong145

Hungary145

Iceland146

India146

Indonesia148

Iran149

Iraq151

Ireland153

Israel and the Occupied Territories154

Italy155

Jamaica155

Japan157

Jordan159

Kampuchea (Cambodia)160

Kenya161

Kiribati162

Korea (Democratic People's Republic of)162

Korea (Republic of)162

Kuwait163

Laos165

Lebanon165

Lesotho166

Liberia166

Libya168

Liechtenstein169

Luxembourg169

Madagascar170

Malawi170

Malaysia171

Maldives173

Mali173

Malta174

Marshall Islands174

Mauritania174

Mauritius176

Mexico176

Micronesia (Federated States of)177

Monaco177

Mongolia177

Montserrat178

Morocco and Western Sahara178

Mozambique179

Namibia180

Nauru182

Nepal182

Netherlands183

New Zealand183

Nicaragua184

Niger184

Nigeria185

Norway187

Oman187

Pakistan187

Panama189

Papua New Guinea189

Paraguay190

Peru190

Philippines191

Poland192

Portugal193

Qatar193

Romania194

Rwanda195

St Christopher and Nevis196

St Lucia197

St Vincent and the Grenadines197

San Marino (Republic of)198

S?o Tomé and Principe198

Saudi Arabia198

Senegal200

Seychelles200

Sierra Leone201

Singapore201

Solomon Islands202

Somalia202

South Africa204

Spain207

Sri Lanka207

Sudan208

Suriname210

Swaziland210

Sweden211

Switzerland211

Syria212

Taiwan (Republic of China)213

Tanzania214

Thailand214

Togo216

Tonga216

Trinidad and Tobago217

Tunisia218

Turkey219

Turks and Caicos Islands221

Tuvalu221

Uganda221

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics223

United Arab Emirates225

United Kingdom226

United States of America227

Uruguay230

Vanuatu230

Vatican City State230

Venezuela231

Viet Nam231

Western Samoa232

Yemen (Arab Republic)232

Yemen (People's Democratic Republic of)233

Yugoslavia234

Zaire236

Zambia237

Zimbabwe238

Appendices241

1 Universal Declaration of Human Rights242

2 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights242

3 General comment on Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights244

4 Safeguards Guaranteeing Protection of the Rights of Those Facing the Death Penalty, adopted by the UN Economic and Social Council245

5 American Convention on Human Rights246

6 Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols247

7 Protocol No. 6 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms249

8 United Nations General Assembly resolution 32/61 of 8 December 1977252

9 United Nations General Assembly resolution 35/172252

10 Checklist of main restrictions and safeguards on the death penalty253

11 Statute of Amnesty International254

12 Declaration of Stockholm (11 December 1977)255

13 Amnesty International Declaration on the Participation of Health Personnel in the Death Penalty256

14 Joint statement by 42 international non-governmental organizations concerned with human rights in consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council257

15 Abolitionist and retentionist countries and territories259

16 Countries which have abolished the death penalty since 1976262

17 Table 1: Distribution of executions among countries 1985- mid-1988263 Table 2:Countries with an age limit of 18 or over,below which people are exempted from the death penalty 264 Table 3: Methods of execution provided in law265