World Day Against the Death Penalty - 10th October

10 October - 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 that participated in the first international Congress against the death penalty (Strasbourg, 2001), the Coalition aims at encouraging 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.
In 2008, World Day Against the Death Penalty, a global coalition of organisations against the death penalty calls on all citizens around the world to take action to end executions in Asia. According to Amnesty International, at least 664 executions have been reported in Asia in 2007. The real figures are believed to be much higher. A recent study by Franklin Zimring and David Johnson estimates that 85 to 95% of the world's executions take place in Asia. Worldwide, 60 countries and territories still uphold the death penalty and use this punishment.

Source: World Coalition Against the Death Penalty