Month: March 2026

Death in Florida


Ron De Santis continues his campaign of executions

March 2026

We have recently drawn attention to individual executions being carried out in Florida as part, it is claimed, of governor De Santis’s desire to show he is tough on crime. Florida is known as the ‘sunshine state’ but a pall is cast over it by the list of people put to death or who are scheduled to be executed. The sunshine is dimmed. The US is currently bombing Iran as part of a campaign who’s objectives are not that clear but involve death and destruction of many Iranians. De Santis, along with President Trump, seems to think that violence is some kind of an answer to problems.

Florida executed 19 people in 2025 – the highest number in modern history (Source: Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.). The state contributed 40% of executions in USA and was around one every 12.26 days – [13th February to 18th December 2025]. In the current rush to carry out executions there is an average 30 day warrant period. People sometimes forget that many spend decades on death row which is typically 33 years from offence to execution.

The list of executions in 2025:

Note UK date format day/month/year

· James Ford 13.2.25

· Edward James 20.3.25

· Michael Tanzi 8.4.25

· Jeffrey Hutchinson 1.5.25

· Glen Rogers 15.5.25

· Anthony Wainwright 10.6.25

· Thomas Gudinas 24.6.25

· Michael Bell 15.7.25

· Edward Zakrzewski 31.7.25

· Kayle Bates 19.8.25

· Curtis Windom 28.8.25

· David Pittman 17.9.25

· Victor Jones 30.9.25

· Samuel Smithers 14.10.25

· Norman Grim 28.10.25

· Bryan Jennings 13.11.25

· Richard Randolph 20.11.15

· Mark Geralds 9.12.25

· Frank Walls 19.12.25

An important issue in considering the system in the state is convictions are often based on non-unanimous juries – 8 out of 12 – allowing significant doubt among jurors. There should be a high degree of unanimity by the jury if someone is to be executed not one that allows a considerable degree of uncertainty.

Unusually among states, the governor has sole authority to schedule executions. Since the governor is committed to the use of the penalty for – it is alleged – to promote his desire to be the next president of the Union, this is a doubtful power to confer on one man. They also want to widen the scope of crimes carrying the penalty. Legislation tightening immigration laws eg mandating death penalty for ‘unauthorised aliens’ convicted of certain capital crimes is planned.

As we discussed in detail in our last post, there are many ethical and constitutional concerns about the process of

execution itself and the use of expired drugs, incorrect dosages, and use of non-listed drugs. Numbers of prisoners on death row have filed claims with the US Supreme Court that the State repeatedly violated its own execution protocol amid an unprecedented execution spree. They have raised the fact that Florida is the only State to include a paralytic medication in its three-drug execution protocol. This means witnesses are unable to see any physical signs of distress. Ronald Heath and Melvyn Trotter have presented evidence showing the use of expired drugs, incorrectly prepared and incomplete dosages, drugs not authorised by the protocol, and documentation not completed at the time. (Source: FADP.)

The current year 2026 to date:

Executions – 2

· Ronald Palmer Heath– 10.2.26

· Melvyn Trotter -24.2.26 – Court in first trial mishandled aggravating factors but re-sentenced to death; claims re: drugs as above.

Scheduled – 3

· Billy Leon Kearse – 3.3.26 – 18 at the time of crime (killing Enforcement Officer) with intellectual disability

· Michael Lee King – 17.3.26 – convicted of murder. At 6, severe frontal lobe injury following accident – neuropsychological testing and brain imaging revealed structural abnormalities affecting his executive functioning. Full details were never adequately presented to sentencing jury.

· James Duckett – 31.3.26 – sentenced to death by 8:4 jury.

There is an irony that the US is engaged in a war in Iran against a regime President Trump regards as vicious and [to be] terrible people. He is angry – often speaking from his Florida home – about how the Ayatollahs treat their people which includes a heavy use of the death penalty. Yet the very same state is busy executing a record number of people often in a rushed and unsatisfactory fashion. Does not Trump have his own Ayatollah on the doorstep?

It is worth repeating that there is no evidence that the penalty is a deterrent. A recent report by the Death Penalty Information Center discusses this. It points out for example that when states have abol­ished the death penal­ty, mur­der rates have not fol­lowed any con­sis­tent pat­tern of change. Rates in states that for­mer­ly retained the death penal­ty fol­low nation­al trends rather than spik­ing or falling after abolition. Earlier research by the National Academies also expresses doubt and does not find conclusive evidence of effectiveness.

The penalty involves the state using violence against an individual. A fundamental problem is that mistakes cannot be put right. Once executed someone cannot be brought back to life if new evidence emerges. The state has an unenviable history of mistakes. Those in line for execution cannot afford expensive or experienced lawyers and as Clive Stafford Smith has described in his books, it may well be the the first murder trial a defence {defense} attorney has carried out. Unlike the UK for example which has passed laws* to ensure the defence has all the evidence, no such law exists in Florida.

The most damning judgement is that if the allegations are true, then the penalty is being used for a political purpose: that is to demonstrate that the governor is ‘tough on crime’ as part of his desire to be president of the US.

*Police and Criminal Evidence Act introduced after several miscarriages of justice.

Recent posts:

Amnesty is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances. The group publishes a monthly report on the penalty around the world (see the link above for the most recent).

Thought of becoming a subscriber?

0

This month’s Death Penalty report


Report for mid – February to mid – March

March 2026

We are pleased to attach this month’s report on the use of the death penalty around the world thanks to group member Lesley for the work in compiling it. It features several US states, Iran, Israel and India. We note as ever that China is thought to be the world’s largest executioner of its citizens but details are a state secret.

Report (Word)Download

Recent posts:

0

Yet more violence in the Middle East


Vigil continues with Israeli and US attacks on Iran

March 2026

For 118 weeks now, we have held a vigil in Salisbury with the theme peace in the Middle East. Around 30 attended yesterday (7 March) and the hope must be that one day it would end. Any such hopes were dashed last week when Israel led an attack on Tehran and other Iranian cities followed by the Americans. They claim that all Iranian air defences are destroyed together with their air force and navy. The attacks continue and Israel has now restarted its attacks on Lebanon.

The objectives of the latest campaign are unclear. One aspect is to destroy Iran’s nuclear ambitions which President Trump has already claimed were destroyed. The other is to enable regime change and initially that appears to have happened because the late supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei and his top aids, were tracked to a location enabling them to be assassinated. There was a hope that the people of Iran would rise up and evict the regime.

Thus the violence has continued and taken on a new life. There have been many implications well aired in the press: retaliation from Iran and its dramatic effects on the Gulf states, the closure of the Straights of Hormuz with its effects on oil and gas prices and the closure of the important air hub at Dubai. International stock markets have fallen and energy prices have risen dramatically.

It has also had ramifications for UK politics basically between those who think we should support Israel and the US and those who do not think yet more bombing and violence is a way to conduct foreign affairs. Arguments have surfaced about Britain’s role in offering support via its bases in Fairford Gloucestershire, Cyprus and the Indian Ocean. Initially denied, within days they were made available to the Americans.

The most damaging feature of this latest violence is the erosion of international law. Attacks on foreign states has rapidly become normal behaviour. As ever, it is not the leaders and politicians who suffer, but those at the receiving end of missile, drone and bombing attacks.

“The escalating crisis in the Middle East poses a grave threat to multilateralism and to the integrity of the international legal order. Unlawful acts by parties to the conflict, particularly those committed by influential states, not only endanger civilians across multiple countries, but also accelerate the erosion of the global norms that are essential for the protection of human rights and global peace and security.” Agnès Callamard, Secretary General, Amnesty International. (March 3rd)

Previous posts:

Thought of becoming a subscriber?

0

Another execution in Florida


Billy Kearse executed on Tuesday in Florida’s killing spree

March 2026

Florida is proceeding apace with its execution programme (program) and Billy Kearse was executed on Tuesday 3rd March 2026. Florida seems to have overtaken Texas as the state keenest to use the penalty. Questions have been raised about the use of the drugs and the secrecy of the process.

Supreme Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor has alleged that the state has failed to follow the protocols which raised the possibility that the executions would violate the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution by causing additional and unnecessary pain and suffering.

This seems to be backed up by evidence produced by The Independent Florida Alligator which has published details of the ages of the drugs used showing that some had expired. The article suggests that the state’s protocol consists only of ‘two sentences’. However, the protocol we have found is longer than that at 14 pp. It is worth reading this as it is ghoulish to read the process of putting someone to death. A remorseless list of actions setting out what is to be done, before, during and after execution.

The Secretary of the Florida Dept. of Corrections, Ricky Dixon, said ‘the foremost objective of the lethal injection process is a humane and dignified death’ (18 February 2025). This must be questioned if out of date drugs are used. Indeed, the protocol says ‘the designated team member will ensure that the lethal chemicals have not reached or surpassed their expiration date’ (rule 6).

Sources: The Independent Florida Alligator, WCADP, Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, Death Penalty Information Center, Florida Dept. Corrections.

Previous posts:

1

Is sport good for humanity?


Title of a talk organised by the Southampton Amnesty group

March 2026

“Sportswashing” has entered the vernacular and is broadly defined as the practice by governments, or other powerful organisations, of sponsoring or hosting a sports team or sporting event in order to promote a positive public image and distract attention from human rights issues or unethical or criminal activity. In a sense it has always been with us, witness the Roman circuses and the quote attributed to Juvenal about giving people ‘bread and circuses’ (panem et circenses) by emperors to win approval of the masses. The communist regimes were keen to use sport to promote their ideology.

This talk focused largely on today’s issues and in particular the role of football in society. It was delivered by Miguel Delaney who is the chief football correspondent for the Independent. It was the annual human rights lecture organised by the Southampton City Amnesty group in collaboration with Southampton University.

Football looms large he said because although many other sports are used by governments to enhance their reputations, football has massive worldwide coverage and often finds its way into the news matched only by the Olympic Games. Millions, even billions, follow it worldwide. It has become massively politicised. Delaney thinks that the issues today probably started with Berlusconi’s acquisition of Inter Milan. This was a naked attempt to use sport to promote a politician but also the principle of neo-liberalism. Perhaps it was no coincidence this took place in Italy. It was a ‘power there to be exploited’ he argued.

Money became more and more of an issue and with it, the ability of clubs to pay huge sums for key players. It has not always bought happiness on the terraces he claims with fans feeling priced out of the game. [If you have not attended a premier league club game in recent years you may find a ticket price of £519 to watch Manchester United play Bournemouth soon something of a surprise. There were some cheaper ones]. A few years ago there was a scandal about clubs changing their kit regularly to boost sales. This part of the talk was about football as a business and did not really touch on the human rights aspects of the game.

The take-over by Abramovich of Chelsea FC moved things up a gear, someone he described as having an ‘unprecedented level of wealth and mystery’. Aspects were not a mystery namely his past as a former KGB officer and the acquisition of his wealth as one of the post Yelstin Oligarchs. He mentioned Putin at this point who he claimed ‘wanted Abramovich to buy Chelsea [as a means] to gain acceptance into [British] society through sport’. He referenced the book Putin’s People: How the KGB took back Russia and then took on the West by Catherine Belton (pub: William Collins, 2020) which he recommended.

Much of his talk was about exploitation of the sport by, mostly, autocratic regimes. The purchase of clubs including British ones like Newcastle United and Manchester City. He touched on the reaction of supporters suggesting that they do not, on the whole, seem to care about the human rights of the autocratic owners. In the Gulf states for example, human rights abuses are legion: torture is widely practised, women have very few rights, there are massive executions, opposition does not exist neither does a free press. He also touched on the rampant corruption of the sports governing body, FIFA.

Conclusion

Football is hugely significant and is followed by millions around the world. It is not surprising it has come to the attention of corrupt regimes wanting to gain influence. Fans seem not to mind and there is little real concern expressed by ministers about their malign influence. Perhaps more could have been made of the kafala system where workers in the Gulf states are bound to their employers and subject to considerable exploitation. Many have died working on the glitzy projects including stadia. This system is a major infringement of rights.

It seems all too easy for these regimes to acquire clubs and to host tournaments with limited controls.

Few fans seem interested although it has to be questioned that despite the billions spent by the Gulf states on all its sportswashing activities, they still do not enjoy that good a reputation. Their influence comes from the oil they produce and the billions they spend on buying arms from the West. It is this which buys the complicity of our politicians, not the ownership of a football club or hosting a golf tournament.

Interesting talk and well done Southampton City Amnesty organising it.

Previous posts:

1

Executions continue at pace in Florida


Governor De Santis breaking records in Florida

March 2026

On this day when it has been reported that the death toll in the US/Israel school bombing in Iran has risen to 148 with a further 95 injured, it may seem contrary to mention the death penalty in Florida. Governor De Santis is hell bent on his execution spree with 5 new death sentences so far this year following on from the record 19 executions in 2025. They are related in the sense that violence is seen as a solution to problems. The US is the only nation in the Americas to have the death penalty in some states. Bombing or putting to death: it seems to be part of some politician’s thinking that such violence is a cure or a solution. It appears to give them a sense of accomplishment. Yet in truth it solves nothing.

The death penalty in the state has many dubious characteristics. As Clive Safford-Smith has noted in his book – Life and Death in the Court Rooms of America for example – the justice system for those without financial means works imperfectly. Injustice in these circumstances is bad enough but when it leads to the death of an individual it is unconscionable. Police do not always disclose all the evidence which might exonerate the accused. Only eight out of 12 jurors are needed for a guilty verdict.

Latest execution this Tuesday (3rd March)

The latest scheduled execution is Billy Kearse (pictured). The murder of Sgt. Parrish devastated his family and the Fort Pierce community. Nothing about our opposition to this execution diminishes that loss. Still, Billy is a person with intellectual disability who was just 18 years and 84 days old at the time of the crime, which is exactly why three Florida Supreme Court Justices said his was “clearly not a death case.” Basic decency and the rule of law demand we take that seriously.

Ron De Santis is a keen proponent of the death penalty saying “I think we’re in a good spot now, and I want to make sure that people (Death Row inmates) that have exhausted all these appeals over many years, sometimes decades, like when all that’s done …, and there’s victims’ families that are wanting to see justice, that I’m doing my part to deliver that,”

House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, acknowledged she might sound “cynical,” but she indicated the increase in De Santis signing death warrants could be tied to his political ambitions.

“What we’ve seen from this governor, and past behavior is oftentimes a predictor of where future behavior might go, this is a governor who’s been so focused on his own ambitions, his personal ambitions, he wants to impress Republican primary voters,” Driskell said Monday during a conference call with reporters. [Source: WUSF]

De Santis wants executions to be carried out quickly believing that they will act as a “strong deterrent”. There is no evidence that the death penalty is a deterrent and there is little difference in murder rates between states with the penalty and those without. Florida has the highest level of exonerations of all states in the Union.

Sources: Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, https://www.wusf.org, Hoodline, Jacksonville

Previous posts:

0

Nigeria and Shell Oil: 30 years on


Let us not forget the role of Shell Oil in Nigeria

March 2026

In this world of fast moving actions, invasions, civil wars and genocide, it is easy to lose sight of past concerns which still resonate today. We are reminded in the Spring edition of the Amnesty News (Issue 228) of the events which took place 30 years ago in Nigeria and the activities of the Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell. Amnesty produced a report last year Extraction Extinction which examines in detail the problems of the extraction industries and their effects on the environment, the climate and human rights.

On p129 of the report is a brief history of Shell’s activities in Nigeria and its complicity in the murder of Ken Saro-Wiwa:

In 1956, Shell first discovered oil in commercially viable quantities in Nigeria, when the country was still under British colonial rule. Before long, Shell operated more than 1,000 wells in 90 oil fields covering an area of 31,000 km2 across the Niger Delta. During the 1990s, Shell reported that its annual profit from oil production in Nigeria averaged USD 220-240 million, some 7% of Shell’s total worldwide profits from exploration and oil production.

Within the Ogoniland region alone, Shell operated 96 wells in five oil fields and was able to produce 28,000 barrels a day. The environmental degradation caused by their operations drove protests by the Ogoni people, led by writer and activist Ken Saro-Wiwa.

In November 1993, General Sani Abacha seized power in a military coup. General Abacha banned all political activity, replaced civilian governors with military administrators, jailed and executed opponents. An Internal Security Task Force was created to “restore and maintain law and order in Ogoniland” and immediately responded to community led protests in the Niger Delta with excessive use of force and other human rights violations.

Amnesty International has documented Shell’s involvement in human rights violations in Nigeria and its close relationship with the Nigerian military. Amnesty International’s research revealed that Shell executives met regularly with top government officials during this period and discussed the government strategy for dealing with protesters in Ogoniland.

In October 1995, nine Ogoni men including Ken Saro-Wiwa were convicted and sentenced to death in relation to trumped up charges of incitement to murder. They were hanged 10 days later; their bodies dumped in an unmarked grave. Five days later, Shell launched a new USD 4 billion natural gas joint venture with the Nigerian government. The
executions of the Ogoni Nine sparked outrage around the world. [Extract from the report]

A study by Durham University discusses the role of Shell in damaging the environment.

The organisation The Movement of the Survival of the Ogoni People, MOSOP provides further details. They maintain that Shell knowingly provided encouragement and motivation to the military authorities to stop the activities of MOSOP thus contributing to the deaths. There was an international outcry following the murder of Saro-Wiwa (pictured: photo MOSOP).

There does not seem to be any reference we could find on Shell’s website to these events. A relevant policy states: “Shell strives to make a positive impact on people around the world, and this includes providing the energy people need, contributing to local economies and communities, championing inclusion and respecting human rights” [accessed 28 February 2026].

There is some evidence to show that Shell has improved its performance in this area. However, after 30 years, the fight for justice continues. Shell has never fully cleaned up the oil spills and mess they created in the area and court actions continue.

The story of Ken Saro-Wiwa is presented in this piece in Historical Nigeria.

This is a story about a powerful international company which was able to operate in a country with few controls over its activities. When threatened by local people protesting about the severe damage it was doing to the environment, it is alleged they connived with the military authorities of the time who murdered a number of the protestors including Ken Saro-Wiwa. It seems that even after the passage of 30 years and some claims that Shell Oil is behaving more responsibly, they have yet to fully clean up the mess made by their activities. There are issues both about climate, the environment and human rights bound up in the same story.

Recent posts:

2

Vigil on the day war threatens in Middle East


The 117th vigil took place on the day Israel and US attack Iran

March 2026

Reports today (March 1st) that Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead killed by an air strike from Israel. President Trump promised to end foreign wars yet here we are with US and Israeli forces engaged in bombing Iran. There have been retaliations by Iran. The UK’s involvement is as yet unclear but RAF jets are reported to be airborne in defence of some Gulf states and no doubt other assistance has been offered.

About 30 attended the 117th vigil in Salisbury in what seems almost a forlorn hope of seeing peace in the region. To engage in yet more military actions with all the tens of thousands already dead, seems an utterly pointless exercise which may bring short-term advantages but has no prospect of longer term stability.

Both Israel and the US are concerned by Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Yet no mention is ever made that Israel is a nuclear state. The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation estimate the country has 90 such weapons and sufficient nuclear material for another 100. Considerable secrecy surrounds this fact and needless to say western media almost never mention it.

Part of the rationale for these recent attacks is to rid Iran of its murderous leadership the head of which appears to have been killed yesterday. The idea that the death of Khamenei is going to lead to some kind of peaceful conclusion and regime change is fanciful. Even if the current regime is deposed in some kind of coup or insurrection, who knows who or what will replace them? There is no obvious successor and the immediate outcome is likely to be instability. This action is more to do with domestic troubles being experienced by Messrs Trump and Netanyahu. And what about the Board of Peace?

Israeli supporting press are broadly in favour. Bringing peace, human rights and stability to a country by dropping bombs on it seems an odd way to go about things. We tried that in Iraq…

0

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑