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World Day Against the Death Penalty 2025 Observed Globally on October 10 to Advocate Abolition of Capital Punishment.

Important Days | Dated: 14 Oct 2025

The World Day Against the Death Penalty is observed annually on October 10 across the globe to raise awareness about the inhumanity of capital punishment and promote its universal abolition. The year 2025 marks the 23rd observance, focusing on global justice, equality, and the right to life.

🎯 Key Highlights:

  • - The theme for World Day Against the Death Penalty 2025 is “The Death Penalty Protects No One: Abolish it Now.” The theme underscores that capital punishment is ineffective, unjust, and discriminatory, emphasizing that it fails to enhance public safety or deter crime.
  • - The day was initiated by the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty (WCADP) in collaboration with Amnesty International, the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), and several Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). It was first observed on October 10, 2003.
  • - Adopted in 1966 and effective since 1976, the ICCPR safeguards essential human rights, including the right to life, freedom of speech, and fair trial. Article 6 specifically recognizes the right to life and places restrictions on the use of capital punishment.

💡 Other Important Facts:

  • (i) Currently, 112 countries have abolished the death penalty for all crimes, 9 for ordinary crimes only, and 23 are abolitionist in practice. Overall, 144 countries have abolished it in law or practice, while 55 countries still retain it. In 2023, 16 countries carried out executions.
  • (ii) In India, the death penalty—executed by hanging—remains the highest form of punishment. As of 2025, about 539 prisoners are on death row. The last executions in India occurred on March 20, 2020, highlighting its rare but continued application.
  • (iii) The 2025 observance reiterates the need for global solidarity to abolish capital punishment entirely, aligning with international human rights standards and advocating for a world that values rehabilitation and justice over retribution.

📚 Test Your Knowledge:

Recently, when is the World Day Against the Death Penalty observed globally each year?

Correct Answer: October 10

🚀 Quick Recap:

About Amnesty International

  • Secretary -General : Agnès Callamard
  • Headquarters : London, the United Kingdom(UK)