Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is a government-sanctioned practice whereby a person is put to death by the state as a punishment for a crime. The sentence that someone be punished in such a manner is referred to as a death sentence. The death penalty criticized as a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, and a violation of human rights – but every day people are put to death in countries around the world.
• 104 countries law does not provide for the death penalty for any crime (Abolitionist for all Crimes: Canada, Poland, Nepal, Italy, New Zealand)
7 countries law provides for the death penalty only for exceptional crimes such as crimes under military law or crimes committed in exceptional circumstances (Abolitionist for Ordinary Crimes only: Brazil, Peru, Chile)
• 30 countries retain the death penalty for ordinary crimes such as murder but can be considered abolitionist in practice in that they have not executed anyone during the past 10 years and are believed to have a policy or established practice of not carrying out executions. (Abolitionist in practice: Algeria, Kenya, Zambia)
57 countries retains the death penalty for ordinary crimes (Retentionist Countries: Bangladesh, North Korea, USA, Singapore)