Death penalty

Publications13 May 2026

Women, drug policy and the death penalty - Submission to OHCHR for report on the impact of drug policies on women and girls

HRI, ESOHR, KHRC and WHRIN call for the abolition of the death penalty for drug offences, highlighting its disproportionate impact on women and girls .

Events

9th World Congress Against the Death Penalty

Paris, France

30 June 2026 - 2 July 2026

Advocates from around the world will gather to advance concrete commitments towards ending capital punishment, protecting fundamental rights and resisting its resurgence.

Publications13 May 2026

Annual report on the death penalty in Iran 2025

IHRNGO and ECPM report that executions in Iran reached their highest recorded level since 1989 , with drug-related offences accounting for nearly half of all known executions.

Publications13 April 2026

The death penalty for drug offences: Global overview 2025

HRI reports a sharp rise in executions for drug offences in 2025, exposing the continued reliance on punitive drug policies and their devastating human rights impacts.

Publications31 March 2026

Saudi Arabia’s drug-related executions violate international law — Opinion No. 71/2025 by the by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention

UN experts say that Saudi Arabia’s use of the death penalty for drug offences violates international law, highlighting serious due process violations and discriminatory impacts on foreign nationals.

News12 February 2026

Maldives reintroduces death penalty for drug trafficking amid conservative push before council polls

President Muizzu’s raft of socially conservative measures illustrates how criminal law reforms are used for electoral gain.

News15 January 2026

Maldives: Parliament approves death penalty for major drug trafficking cases

Maldives’ parliament has unanimously approved a landmark amendment allowing the death penalty for major drug trafficking cases.

News20 October 2025

60th session of UN Human Rights Council: Joint statement on death penalty and drug policy

IDPC joins global leaders to deliver a joint statement condemning the death penalty for drug-related offences, recognising recent reforms, and advocating for greater change.

News2 October 2025

ICC charges Rodrigo Duterte with crimes against humanity

The former Philippine president is accused of mass murder after implementing a violent anti-drug campaign that left at least 6,000 people dead.

News29 September 2025

Singapore: Cruel and unlawful drug-related execution of Malaysian man renews urgency for moratorium on executions

The execution after hours of uncertainty for the victim and his family has reignited international outrage and demands for a moratorium.

News9 September 2025

Maldives: Reject introduction of death penalty for drug trafficking and abolish this punishment once and for all

Nine human rights groups condemn the Maldives’ push to impose the death penalty for drug trafficking, warning it violates international law and defies global abolition trends.

Events

Drug policy reform: A powerful tool to prevent serious human rights violations

Geneva, Switzerland / Online

16 September 2025

The event will explore how drug policy reform can prevent serious human rights violations, broaden discussions beyond health, and highlight pathways toward decriminalisation, the abolition of the death penalty, and international cooperation.

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