Newsletter Asia Desk N°1 : Focus on the Death Penalty

Today, most countries have agreed that the death penalty cannot be considered as a necessary deterrent to crime and are moving towards the path of abolition, with 104 countries having abolished the death penalty till date. However, the death penalty still remains well rooted in Asia, with China and Iran taking the lead in the number of executions per year. Public opinion is often invoked to favor the maintenance of the death penalty and most governments are not willing to tackle the issue head on. At the same time, there has been some positive news from countries like Mongolia following the example set by the Philippines and Cambodia. In support of the 9th World Day against the Death Penalty, this edition of the newsletter has chosen to focus on the Death Penalty in Asia.

Brief Summary

> Highlights of FIDH activities.................................... 2
> Focus: the death penalty......................................... 3
> International justice................................................ 8
> Fundamental freedoms........................................... 10
> Regional and international mechanisms.................... 12
> Human Rights Defenders......................................... 15
> Calendar of Upcoming Events................................... 17