Why the death penalty should be abolished

The death penalty has been and remains a very emotional topic, especially in the times of terrorism and armed conflicts.

In most countries, the public majority strives for keeping this kind of punishment. Nevertheless, human rights should not depend on attitudes in society. After all, we are well aware of the tragic facts when the society found it acceptable to exploit people of a different race, isolate the handicapped and destroy whole nations.

To date, we have the long-run experience of the countries that have abandoned this form of punishment, and mankind can make direct conclusions about the ineffectiveness of the death penalty in preventing crime and the risks of killing the innocent.

We stand for a fair and reasonable punishment for offenders that would serve the purposes of justice and would be appropriate for a society where the right to life is an absolute value.

There are also indisputable studies that show that the more people know about the facts related to the death penalty, the less they oppose its abolition. Unfortunately, the states that practice this form of punishment are often reluctant to provide their citizens with information on this issue and hinder the appropriate activities of human rights defenders, thereby supporting the existing social myths.

We present our arguments, based on the experience of 140 countries and research.