On the occasion of the World Day Against the Death Penalty that is celebrated each year on 10th October, the Moroccan Coalition Against the Death Penalty and the National Human Rights Council (CNDH) organized a Press Conference on Thursday 14th October 2021 at 10 am, at the CNDH Headquarters in Rabat, Morocco.

This year's World Day was dedicated to women at risk of the death penalty, on death row or executed, as well as those who have been pardoned or found innocent.

Civil and institutional actors took part in this event. They called for enhancing advocacy for the abolition of the death penalty. They were unanimously agreed that it is an inhuman punishment against the right to life.

19th World Day Against the Death Penalty: Women sentenced to death: an invisible reality

Within this context, Ms. Amina Bouayach, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Council (CNDH), shed light on gender-based discrimination in sentencing death and conditions of detention. Data related to women sentenced to death, executed, have been pardoned or found innocent are rare. In 2020, 16 women from around the world were executed and seven States had at least one woman on death row.

The CNDH communicates and visits two women sentenced to death in Morocco. It also communicates with the women who were pardoned last year.

Death penalty is not a deterrent; it is a punishment contradicting the right to life enshrined in the constitution (Article 20)

Ms. Bouayach indicated that the CNDH emphasized the abolition of the death penalty in its Memorandum published in 2019 on reforming the Penal code. Last year, it called Moroccan authorities to vote for the UN Resolution calling for a moratorium on the use of the death penalty.

Hence, the CNDH considers the advocacy process against the death penalty needs to renew and disseminate responses to several assumptions and questions focusing on misunderstanding the death penalty as the only deterrent to serious crimes.

CNDH President enquired whether the legislation stipulating the death penalty is not violating human rights. The answer is no.

Necessity to develop a new vision to advocate and increase death penalty abolitionists

CNDH Chairperson stressed that the abolition process that started years ago should be fostered by compiling possibilities, developing a new vision and diversifying tools to face erroneous assumptions.

CNDH activities on the occasion of the 19th World Day Against the Death Penalty

CNDH headquarters is hosting an exhibition resulting from the Fourth Chapter of the International Poster Competition "Draw me the abolition.” This competition was organized for young people by the Teaching Abolition International Network in partnership with the association "Together Against the Death Penalty” (ECPM).

These posters will also be exhibited in several schools in Morocco.

Workshops for raising awareness and drawing on this issue will be organized on 14, 16, 25, 26 and 28 October 2021 in Rabat and Casablanca, Morocco.

The Association Savoir être et vivre ensemble (SEVE) will coordinate a debate on the possibility to be exonerated from the death penalty.