We are pleased to attach the latest report with thanks to group member Lesley for the work in compiling it. The highlights in the report are
Conditional pardon offered to Ruth Ellis who was the last person to be hanged in Britain
In Lebanon aย law has been passed abolishing the death penalty.ย It will be the only country in the Middle East formally to end the penalty
Florida continues with its spate of executions including two on one day and Governor DeSantis is busy signing fresh warrants
Jermaine Wright, Delaware, becomes the 203rd person exonerated since 1973 and is declared innocent after 34 years on death row.
As ever we note that there is no data from China – believed to execute more of its citizens than the rest of the world put together – because they are a state secret. It is another aspect of the persecution of the Uyghurs the subject of a series of posts elsewhere on this site.
Reading a Uyghur book can lead to serious punishment
August 2026
This is not the Middle Ages. This is the 21st Century. But the desire of the Chinese to extinguish Uyghur culture can lead to draconian consequences. This short piece and the book, were created by the Amnesty Death Penalty project.
So often, we take our books for granted.ย But if you are Uyghur, reading, promoting or writing books in the Uyghur language – even childrenโs text books – can land you in serious trouble.ย In fact it can and has on a number of occasions, resulted in a death sentence.ย This is all part of the Chinese governmentโs attempts to suppress the Uyghur language, culture and identity.ย Too many governments around the world use the death penalty as a means of intimidating ordinary people into compliance.ย ย Books, things that we take for granted in the West, can be very dangerous for Uyghurs which is why the Anti-Death Penalty Project has created a book (ููุชุงุจ) to show our solidarity. ‘Thank you so much Death Penalty Network for such a beautiful and thoughtful project!ย ย
The Salisbury group publishes a report each month on the use of the penalty around the world. It does not include China as executions are a state secret. The country is believed to execute more of its citizens than the rest of the world put together.
Webinar on the penalty hosted by Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
August 2026
Florida is featuring in the news on this topic because of its record use of the penalty having passed Texas as the state who previously held this dubious honour. Its passion for executions is allegedly because the governor, Ron DeSantis, is a keen proponent of its use. He believes it is a deterrent and also helps victim’s families come to terms with their loss. It is also alleged that he is keen to show himself to be tough on crime as part of his wish to become president of the US. Recently, on July 28th,, there were two executions in one day a kind of grisly record. In a previous post on this topic we wondered if it should no longer be known as the ‘Sunshine State’ but the ‘Death State’.
On the justification for its use, De Santis is wrong on both counts. There is no correlation between violent crime and the death penalty. US states or other countries internationally who do not use it, do not have higher levels of violent crime. Victims of crime as a speaker of the seminar observed, want the crimes solved.
Brief history
The history of the penalty in the US was discussed and the decision by the US Supreme Court in 1972 to rule, in the case of Furman v. Georgia, that the penalty was arbitrary and inconsistent (as between different states) and in contravention of the 8th and 14th Amendments. In 1976, the same court allowed the resumption of the penalty in Florida, Georgia and Texas. Since 1976, 12 states have abolished its use they noted.
There has been a gradual reduction in its use the speakers noted. In 1978 there was 84% support according to a Gallup pole. This has dropped to 36% now. Some supported it because they thought it cheaper. Since many are on death rows for decades this is not supported by the facts. A study by the Death Penalty Information Center showed that the cost in California was around $4bn.
It was noted that the US was a member of a motley collection of states still actively using it: China, North Korea and Saudi Arabia (interestingly, none noted Iran, another colossal user). To be among them was not exactly a badge of pride. The US was unique in the Americas still to use it.
The fact remains that many Americans support its use. Mr DeSantis obviously feels that his actions in making the state the nation’s chief executioner will improve his chances in the presidential primaries improving his tough on crime credentials.
Readers might want to revisit an earlier post on how the penalty and court system works in the state.
Should Florida become known as the ‘Death State’ in place of the Sunshine State?
July 2026
Two more executions are scheduled for same day – July 28th – in Florida as Governor Ron DeSantis pursues his mania for the policy. DeSantis said he believes the death penalty could be a “strong deterrent” to crime. “My view is it’s an appropriate punishment for the worst offenders,” he said. The evidence does not support his statement. Indeed the Death Penalty Project concludes:
‘Overall, homicide rates have been declining since the early 1990s across all US states. And increasing rates of homicide have not followed in those states which have abolished the death penalty during the past two decades. In fact, over the last 20 years, homicide rates in US states which retained the death penalty have been higher than those without it.
‘One study found that between 1974 and 2009, 447 executions occurred in the state of Texas, 13 occurred in California and none occurred in New York, yet rates of homicide followed similar patterns of fluctuation throughout this period across all three states, clearly influenced by factors other than punishments.’
‘Aping the President‘
Florida executed more than ever before in 2025. The State accounts for 40% of all executions in the US, a shocking statistic. The increase in the national statistic is almost entirely due to this one state. One commentator reflects in a Tampa Free Press article that DeSantis is aping the President “it matters to the President [Trump] so it matters to them.” It has also been suggested that the execution spree is part of the Governor’s desire to become the president at the end of President Trump’s term of office.
One of those due to be executed at the end of the month is 80 years old, Dominick Anthony Occhicone and his attorneys say he is in their opinion, too old to be executed.
There are still 246 individuals on death row in the state.
If these executions proceed, Florida will carry out two executions in a single day — the first time this has happened in the modern era of Florida’s death penalty. That fact alone should stop us in our tracks.
Amnesty opposes the use of use of the penalty in all circumstances. It is not a deterrent. It perpetuates violence. Mistakes cannot be rectified (and there have been 30 exonerations in this state alone). The US is the only state in the Americas continuing to execute its citizens.
Another case
Another truly shocking case involves a man called Eddie Suggs who is on death row. Reading the astonishing story you learn that the evidence is so weak and flawed it’s a wonder that the case ever came to court. But he may lose his life. There is a petition to sign and we’d be grateful if you’d add your voice.
Ruth Ellis was hanged in Holloway Prison in 1955 and was the last woman to receive this punishment. Hanging was abolished in 1969 but the execution of Ruth Ellis was one of the events which led to its abolition. The last execution was in 1964, that is 70 years ago. This week Ellis was given a conditional pardon by the government. The application was brought by four of Ellisโs grandchildren who said her action was profoundly shaped by domestic abuse, trauma and circumstances that were never properly recognised at her trial. It is likely that if her life of abuse was made known to the jury it is likely she would have been convicted of manslaughter.
The desire to restore the penalty emerges from time to time and ‘bring back hanging’ appears in some interviews especially after a terrible murder or a terrorist attack. A minor British political party, Restore, is campaigning for its return but it is not a policy of the major parties. The Daily Telegraph does not agree that she has been pardoned reflecting perhaps its older readership’s views about the penalty.
Amnesty believes it is wrong in all circumstances and campaigns for its abolition around the world. The US is the only country in the Americas to retain it in some states at least and in Florida, there has been an increase under Governor De Santis, it is suggested as part of his campaign to be President. Support in the States is slowly diminishing reflecting the views of younger Americans. China is the world leader in executions carrying out more than the rest of the world combined although exact figures are not known as they are a state secret.
There are many problems with the penalty the most obvious being that mistakes cannot be rectified once the execution has happened. And there are mistakes often because exculpatory evidence is sometimes withheld by police. Frequently, the defence is poor or because a key witness can lie to save their own skin. There is considerable racial bias. It does not deter crime as is often claimed: there are no significant differences in crime between states with the penalty and those without. It is very expensive especially in the US where prisoners live for years on death row waiting results of appeals. It is a barbaric practice and simply perpetuates the cycle of violence.
Monthly report on the use of the penalty around the world
July 2026.
There is a lot of interest in this month’s report which covers the period mid-June to mid-July 2026 and is preprared by group member Lesley to whom we are grateful for the work in compiling it. There is more content in this report on conferences where the future of the penalty was discussed for example the Ninth World Congress Against the Death Penalty.
We are pleased to attach our latest report on the death penalty around the world thanks to group member Lesley for the work in compiling it. Although there is mention of a case in China, that country does not appear despite executing more or its citizens than the rest of the world combined.
A new feature on the site which will appear from time to time, is podcasts. The first is below. Note they are produced by AI but from texts written and researched by us not using any AI. It is an amalgamation of more than one text post. Feedback is welcome. We hope you enjoy listening! If you are not used to these, click on the heading and you will see a sound bar with the text displayed below it.
Glossip is interviewed after his release from prison
June 2026
After facยญing nine exeยญcuยญtion dates, and being givยญen three last meals, Richard Glossip was released on bail on May 14, 2026 and set foot outยญside of prison walls for the first time in nearยญly three decades. In an interยญview with The Intercept, Mr. Glossip disยญcussยญes adjustยญing physยญiยญcalยญly and emoยญtionยญalยญly to his new life as he awaits a posยญsiยญble retriยญal for the 1997 crime that sent him to death row, despite his longยญstandยญing claims of innoยญcence. Oklahoma County District Judge Natalie Mai ordered his release on a $500,000 bond, statยญing โโThe Court hopes that a new triยญal, free of error, will proยญvide all interยญestยญed parยญties, and the citยญiยญzens of Oklahoma, the cloยญsure they deserve.โ
“I tried nevยญer to let myself become instiยญtuยญtionยญalยญizedโฆ But I mean itโs hard. You go through all these horยญriยญble things and all these difยญferยญent dates โฆ and last meals and everyยญthing. And then it doesnโt look like this day will ever get here. But you always hope that it will“.
Mr. Glossip said of the wideยญspread attenยญtion on his case, โโItโs overยญwhelmยญing but itโs amazยญing at the same time.โ Since his release, he has been able to reunite with his wife Lea, with whom he first corยญreยญspondยญed and latยญer marยญried while in prison. In a conยญverยญsaยญtion with The Intercept, Mr. Glossip described iniยญtialยญly havยญing difยญfiยญculยญty sleepยญing withยญout the conยญstant noise of prison, eatยญing at a neighยญborยญhood Italian restauยญrant with his wife, and going food shopยญping. He also disยญcussed feelยญing supยญportยญed by his comยญmuยญniยญty in Oklahoma. He recountยญed sevยญerยญal stoยญries of being recยญogยญnized, includยญing by a barยญber who refused payยญment for his hairยญcut, telling Mr. Glossip it was โโan honยญorโ to cut his hair.
“Once youโre out here and you see all the things that was takยญen away from youโโโand all the times they almost took everyยญthing away from me, my life and everyยญthingโโโyou see all of it nowโฆ And it kind of still makes me angry at times because none of this should have ever hapยญpened. And this should have nevยญer been takยญen from me in the first place”.
Mr. Glossip is now awaitยญing a posยญsiยญble retriยญal for his alleged involveยญment in the 1997 โโmurยญder-for-hireโ of Barry Van Trees, his boss at an Oklahoma City Motel. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who preยญviยญousยญly conยญfessed error in the prosยญeยญcuยญtions that endยญed in Mr. Glossipโs death senยญtence, announced that his office will not seek the death penalยญty in his new triยญal. The Supreme Court vacatยญed Mr. Glossipโs conยญvicยญtion and death senยญtence in February 2025, findยญing that prosยญeยญcuยญtors allowed a key witยญness to lie in court and withยญheld cruยญcial inforยญmaยญtion from the defense about the same witยญness. AG Drummond, who supยญportยญed Mr. Glossipโs appeal to the United States Supreme Court, now says โโฆmy office will make sure Mr. Glossip receives a fair triยญal based on hard facts, solยญid eviยญdence and truthful testimony.โ
Theyโll make the right deciยญsions. I know they will. I wouldnโt be out here today if they wasnโtโฆ So Iโm just going to let them hanยญdle it. โฆ Iโm just gonna enjoy life.
The pace of executions in Florida continues and the latest is Dusty Ray Spencer who has been on death row since 1992. Gov. De Santis has signed the warrant and the due date is noon on June 25th. Florida accounts for 40% of all US executions last year according to Amnesty International. It is the tenth such warrant signed by the governor this year. The state set a record in 2025 with 19 executions.
Spencer was convicted of murdering his wife in a violent assault. This was witnessed by his son who tried unsuccessfully to intervene. The Jury voted 7-5 in favour of execution. There have been a number of appeals. Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty state that if the case was heard today, he would be unlikely to receive the death penalty. In the light of all the executions FADP say that ‘We reject the idea that executions are inevitable. Nothing requires the state of Florida to respond to violence with more violence. Our leaders still have a choice’.
In preparing this piece we have explored a number of articles in the US and Florida media and there is little to explain how a marine who apparently had a good service record, became this violent individual. There are brief mentions of his mental state but little else.
If you visit the FADP site there is a petition. Amnesty is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances. We publish a report each month on the use of the penalty around the world.
Sources: CBS News, FADP, Tampa Bay Times, Justia Law, ‘They Will Kill You’
Amnesty in Salisbury & South Wiltshire 