World Day Against the Death Penalty

	World Day Against the Death Penalty
	10 October 2011 -- The first World Day Against the Death Penalty took place in 2003. This event was launched by the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, which gathers international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), bar associations, unions and local governments from all over the world. Established by organisations who participated in the first international Congress against the death penalty (Strasbourg, 2001), the Coalition aims to encourage the establishment of national coalitions, the organisation of common initiatives and the coordination of international lobbying efforts to sensitise states that still maintain the death penalty. This year's World Day focuses on the inhumanity of the death penalty as a cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment. The dreadful conditions on death row inflict extreme psychological suffering and execution is a physical and mental assault. Death row inmates around the world are held in appalling conditions: the cells are not suitable for a human being; the dietary regime is inadequate; and access to medical care is difficult. Not only are inmates placed in physical cruel and unusual circumstances, but their mind is also greatly affected by their situation, with many death row inmates suffering from mental illness and mental disabilities as a result of their death sentence. Executions, regardless of the method used, are cruel and inhumane. They can and do go wrong in many cases. Source: World Coalition Against the Death Penalty