Lots of interest in this month’s minutes and newsletter
July 2026
We are pleased to attach our July minutes and newsletter with thanks to several group members for their contributions. There are pieces on the refugee situation which continues to resonate in the British political scene but often with little attention to the facts. Few would know from the media and politicians that the number of boat crossings have declined for example.
As we have pointed out in a previous post, we now report on British human rights following successive government’s introduction of ever more restrictive laws on assembly and protest.
There is a summary of the death penalty noting that the Restore party wants to see the penalty brought back in the UK. This coincided with the conditional pardon offered to Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be executed in Britain.
There is a report on social media statistics noting that views to this site are at significantly higher level than last year but that most come from outside the UK. High numbers from China are a surprise but very welcome.
There is no meeting in August and the next time we meet is on September 10th.
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 Ellis’s 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 facing nine execution dates, and being given three last meals, Richard Glossip was released on bail on May 14, 2026 and set foot outside of prison walls for the first time in nearly three decades. In an interview with The Intercept, Mr. Glossip discusses adjusting physically and emotionally to his new life as he awaits a possible retrial for the 1997 crime that sent him to death row, despite his longstanding claims of innocence. Oklahoma County District Judge Natalie Mai ordered his release on a $500,000 bond, stating “The Court hopes that a new trial, free of error, will provide all interested parties, and the citizens of Oklahoma, the closure they deserve.”
“I tried never to let myself become institutionalized… But I mean it’s hard. You go through all these horrible things and all these different dates … and last meals and everything. And then it doesn’t look like this day will ever get here. But you always hope that it will“.
Mr. Glossip said of the widespread attention on his case, “It’s overwhelming but it’s amazing at the same time.” Since his release, he has been able to reunite with his wife Lea, with whom he first corresponded and later married while in prison. In a conversation with The Intercept, Mr. Glossip described initially having difficulty sleeping without the constant noise of prison, eating at a neighborhood Italian restaurant with his wife, and going food shopping. He also discussed feeling supported by his community in Oklahoma. He recounted several stories of being recognized, including by a barber who refused payment for his haircut, telling Mr. Glossip it was “an honor” to cut his hair.
“Once you’re out here and you see all the things that was taken away from you — and all the times they almost took everything away from me, my life and everything — you see all of it now… And it kind of still makes me angry at times because none of this should have ever happened. And this should have never been taken from me in the first place”.
Mr. Glossip is now awaiting a possible retrial for his alleged involvement in the 1997 “murder-for-hire” of Barry Van Trees, his boss at an Oklahoma City Motel. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who previously confessed error in the prosecutions that ended in Mr. Glossip’s death sentence, announced that his office will not seek the death penalty in his new trial. The Supreme Court vacated Mr. Glossip’s conviction and death sentence in February 2025, finding that prosecutors allowed a key witness to lie in court and withheld crucial information from the defense about the same witness. AG Drummond, who supported Mr. Glossip’s appeal to the United States Supreme Court, now says “…my office will make sure Mr. Glossip receives a fair trial based on hard facts, solid evidence and truthful testimony.”
They’ll make the right decisions. I know they will. I wouldn’t be out here today if they wasn’t… So I’m just going to let them handle it. … I’m 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’
Richard Glossip released after nearly three decades on death row
May 20
We are pleased to report the release on bail of Richard Glossip for whom we have campaigned for many years. His case is a long and tortuous one and he has been served ‘last meals’ on three occasions. He has been on death row for 27 years. In the endless series of trials and appeals it seems to be clear that the prosecution case was always weak. The crime was the murder of Barry van Treese in 1997 and Glossip was alleged to be the killer.
The prosecution allowed its key witness, Justin Sneed, to provide false testimony about his mental health and medical treatment. The new evidence showed that Sneed was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and prescribed lithium, facts that were withheld from the defence. At trial, Sneed falsely claimed he was never treated by a psychiatrist and received lithium mistakenly. This falsehood was material because Sneed’s testimony was the only direct evidence implicating Glossip, and impeachment of his credibility could have influenced the jury’s decision. The prosecution had prior knowledge of Sneed’s mental health treatment and still failed to correct the misstatement when it was made to the jury.
Correcting this false testimony would likely have changed the jury’s assessment of Sneed’s reliability. The prosecution is alleged to excluded exculpatory evidence, interfered with witness testimony, and allowed destruction of key physical evidence. Given these cumulative errors and their impact on the fairness of the trial, Glossip is entitled to a new trial. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals’ rejection of the attorney general’s confession of error was based on a misapplication of federal law.
Free for now
Richard Glossip walked out of an Oklahoma County jail Thursday with his wife, free on bond for the first time since his 1997 arrest, after a judge set his release terms ahead of a retrial the U.S. Supreme Court ordered last year. As Hannah Ziegler reported for the New York Times, Judge Natalie Mai set Glossip’s bond at $500,000, requiring an electronic monitoring device and prohibiting contact with witnesses or travel outside Oklahoma. A group of supporters helped raise the bond money.
Glossip was convicted in 1998 and again in 2004 of arranging the murder of his employer, Barry Van Treese, through motel handyman Justin Sneed. The state set execution dates for him nine times. Two independent investigations later found that critical evidence had been withheld and that Sneed’s testimony, the cornerstone of the prosecution’s case, was faulty.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who had previously asked the Supreme Court to throw out Glossip’s conviction, said he would retry the case but would not again seek the death penalty. Glossip’s attorney Donald Knight said the bond ruling was unexpected and marked a step forward after what he called a decades-long nightmare.
Judge Mai wrote that a new trial free of error would give all parties and Oklahoma citizens the closure they deserve. Knight said the court’s decision had rejected the state’s claim of a strong case for guilt. Glossip told reporters outside the jail Thursday that it was overwhelming but amazing.
The point here is that the case was weak and there are serious doubts about his guilt. Had he been executed in one of the three previous occasions there would be no coming back. It could not be undone.
Sources: MSN, Oklahoma Watch, The Oklahoman. Picture NBC.
We are pleased to attach the latest report for mid-April to mid-May thanks to group member Lesley for the work in compiling it. It contains details of the penalty around the world including a massive number of executions in Iran and how Saudi has executed large numbers in recent years. Singapore is mentioned with its policy of executing individuals involved in the drugs trade. Florida continues to feature with the Governor signing warrants for executions.
Israel’s proposals to re-introduce the penalty and to hold public trials for those held following the 7th October massacre is discussed and the responses to the change from countries around the world. Israel seems to be sliding ever backwards with its genocide, apartheid, violence and now the reintroduction of the death penalty last used on Adolph Eichmann.
As ever, we have to note that China is thought to be the world’s largest executioner but details are a state secret. There is a disturbing report from Australia however with some details but there is a warning about its content.
The government has responded to the thousands who signed a petition concerning the Israeli government’s bill to enable the use of the death penalty against Palestinians with no chance of appeal. The response:
The UK opposes the death penalty in all circumstances. The Government has raised concerns with the Government of Israel and will continue to do so. The Death Penalty for Terrorists bill introduces a mandatory death sentence for terrorism-related murders, with no right of appeal. The powers would in practice apply almost exclusively to military courts trying Palestinians in the West Bank.
The UK has expressed our deep concern about the bill, as it would significantly expand the possibilities to impose the death penalty in Israel. We have been clear, publicly and privately, that we oppose the death penalty in all circumstances. The death penalty has not been used in Israel for over 60 years, and this legislation risks being a regressive step enabling its use. Following its passage at second and third readings in the Knesset the bill is now law subject to legal challenge via Israel’s independent judicial system.
The Foreign Secretary spoke to the Israeli Foreign Minister and called for further plans to introduce this bill to be abandoned. On 29 March, the UK issued a joint statement with Foreign Ministers of Australia, Germany, France, Italy and New Zealand urging the Government of Israel to abandon plans for the death penalty bill. The statement can be found here: Joint statement on Israel’s Death Penalty Bill: 29 March 2026 – GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/joint-statement-on-israels-death-penalty-bill-29-march-2026).
As set out in the statement, the UK and other signatories oppose the death penalty, reflecting a long-standing and shared commitment to abolition. The UK Government believes that the death penalty’s use undermines human dignity, that there is no conclusive evidence of its deterrent value, and that any miscarriage of justice leading to its imposition is irreversible and irreparable.
We particularly deplore any failure to observe the relevant international standards, defined by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.More broadly, the UK Government continues to call on the Government of Israel to uphold international law and human rights. This includes respecting the fundamental rights of detainees and prisoners, ensuring due process, and refraining from actions that risk further exacerbating tensions or inflaming an already fragile situation.
The UK continues to support international efforts to reduce violence, protect civilians, and promote respect for the rule of law. We firmly believe that lasting security for Israelis and Palestinians can only be achieved through progress on the Gaza ceasefire and the 20-point plan, an end to the annexation threats and settler violence in the West Bank, and a realistic political horizon for the two-state solution. We will continue to work closely with international partners, including the United Nations and civil society, to promote human rights, accountability, and oppose the death penalty worldwide. We will keep developments under close review and continue to raise our concerns where legislation or policy risks undermining international legal norms.
The Government is grateful to those who have engaged through the petitions process. Public engagement on issues of human rights helps inform and strengthen the UK’s foreign policy, and we remain committed to advancing these values internationally.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Amnesty is opposed to the penalty in all circumstances and publishes a report on its use each month.
Amnesty in Salisbury & South Wiltshire 