Please join us on April 12 at 12:30pm-2:30pm EDT for the third webinar in this monthly series on the abolition of the death penalty. This series is sponsored by Amnesty International Canada, Carleton University’s Youth & Justice Lab, The Human Rights Research and Education Centre at the University of Ottawa, The Canadian International Council (Saskatchewan Branch), The Mardom Foundation, The Paivand Society and the campaign United Against Executions in Iran.
International human rights law provides a comprehensive framework for the abolition of the death penalty. Although the use of capital punishment is not entirely rejected in the ICCPR (1966), the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR (1989) aims at the abolition of the death penalty. From a human rights perspective, the death penalty is a cruel and degrading punishment violating the right to life of its victims and inflicting inordinate pain on society. This session will explore the human rights norms and mechanisms that could provide the means for holding retentionist states accountable and progress towards a moratorium and ultimately the abolition of the death penalty.
Speakers
- Ezat Mosallanejad | Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture
- Payam Akhavan | University of Toronto
- John Packer | Neuberger-Jesin Professor of International Conflict Resolution & Director, HRREC, uOttawa
Moderator — Samira Mohyeddin | Journalism Fellow, Women & Gender Studies Institute (WGSI), University of Toronto
Learn more about the use of the death penalty around the world
According to Amnesty’s annual report on the global use of the death penalty, 1,518 executions were recorded in 2024 – the highest number since 2015 (at least 1,634) – with the majority in the Middle East. However, for the second year in a row, countries carrying out executions remained at the lowest point on record.
Read more and download the full report.
Upcoming webinars in this series on the abolition of the death penalty
Towards the Abolition of the Death Penalty is a virtual panel discussion series that will tackle the complex question of the death penalty with a view to its abolition in retentionist states, particularly in the contemporary context of the Middle East, in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Egypt, Syria, and Iraq. The panel series will provide in-depth discussions on the death penalty from diverse legal, philosophical, sociological, psychological, and political perspectives. The speakers will address and put in context current instances of the death penalty, exploring the dynamics involved in this criminal sanction. The series aims to create a dialogical platform for everyone interested in engaging with the abolitionist discourse to discuss the possibilities and challenges to put an end to the death penalty. Each session will introduce the audience to significant aspects of capital punishment, expounding theoretical and practical particularities of the sanction.
May 10 – Session 4, Political Violence and the Death Penalty
Alex Neve, Past Secretary-General of Amnesty Canada (ES), Visiting Professor of International Human Rights Law, University of Ottawa
Parastou Forouhar, Installation Artist, Frankfurt Germany
June 14 – Session 5, Islam and the Death Penalty
Fereshteh Vasmaghi, Lawyer, Poet, Human Rights Activist
Hasan Fereshtian, Defence Attorney of Iranian Dissidents
July 12 – Session 6, Global and Regional Perspectives: Abolition challenges and opportunities
John Packer, Associate Professor of Law, Director Human Rights Research and Education Centre, University of Ottawa
Omid Milani,Fellow, Human Rights Research and Education Centre, Artist, University of Ottawa
September 13 – Session 7, Capital Punishment and the Iranian legal system
Hossein Raeesi, Iranian lawyer, defended death penalty cases in Shiraz for 20 years, Adjunct Professor, Carleton University
Hasan Fereshtian, Defence Attorney of Iranian Dissidents
October 11 – Session 8, Children, Trauma and the Death Penalty
Judy Finlay, Child Welfare and Children’s Mental Health advocate, Toronto Metropolitan University
Hossein Raeesi, Iranian lawyer, defended death penalty cases in Shiraz for 20 years, Adjunct Professor, Carleton University
Sandra Joy, Professor of Sociology, studies impact of death penalty on families, Rowan University
November 8 – Session 9, Sociological Perspectives
Hosein Ghazian, Iranian Sociologist, Theorist, Commentator, Researcher, Author, Photographer
Saeed Paivandi, Professor of Education, University of Lorraine
December 10 – Session 10, Non-Violence and Forgiveness (Human Rights Day)
Payam Akhavan, Massey Chair in Human Rights, human rights lawyer, University of Toronto
Ramin Jahanbegloo, Director of ‘Mahatma Gandhi Centre for Nonviolence and Peace Studies, New Delhi, Visiting Professor, St. Andrews University
Omid Milani, Fellow, Human Rights Research and Education Centre, Artist, University of Ottawa
Note: dates and speakers subject to change
Poster & Artwork Design © Omid Milani
