International Day Against the Death Penalty

The date was initiated by the participants of the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty congress after the meeting in Rome on May 13, 2002, and has been widely celebrated since 2003.

Death row inmates wait an average of 15 years before execution. Only 13% of convicts face their execution. The remaining death row inmates usually die of suicide, illness, or natural causes. They also have a chance of getting released when their convictions get overturned.

Major arguments against the death penalty focus on its inhumaneness, lack of deterrent effect, continuing racial and economic biases, and irreversibility. Proponents argue that it represents a just retribution for certain crimes, deters crime, protects society, and preserves the moral order.