Speaking at the ninth World Congress against the Death Penalty in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron issued a stark warning about the resurgence of capital punishment worldwide. The event, held at the Maison de la Radio, brought together activists, diplomats, and human rights advocates to confront what Macron described as a troubling global trend.
“The death penalty still remains, in many regions of the world, a reality,” Macron told the audience. “The number of executions carried out last year reached its highest level since 1981, with 2,707 people executed by authorities in just 17 countries.”
Executions on the Rise
According to data from the NGO Together Against the Death Penalty, which organised the congress, the countries responsible for the majority of executions in 2024 were China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. The Iran Human Rights NGO reported that at least 1,639 people were executed in Iran alone last year—the highest figure for the country since 1989.
Macron also expressed concern over legislative moves in the Sahel region and Israel that could expand the use of capital punishment. In March, the Israeli parliament passed a bill authorising the death penalty for Palestinians convicted on terror charges. Meanwhile, Burkina Faso’s ruling military junta announced the reintroduction of capital punishment in December 2024.
“The death penalty has never made a society safer,” Macron asserted. “Never, because it does not act as a deterrent. It’s crazy. It has been demonstrated, observed and measured. The death penalty has never had the deterrent effect that certain, often authoritarian, authorities who defend it would like to attribute to it.”
Glimmers of Progress
Despite the grim statistics, Macron highlighted positive developments since the last World Congress against the Death Penalty in Berlin in 2022. Zambia and Zimbabwe recently abolished capital punishment, and several other countries have introduced reforms to limit its use. “These decisions remind us that no people are permanently bound by fate to the death penalty and that abolition is not a distant ideal,” he said. However, he cautioned that abolition is “never a given.”
The French president’s remarks come amid broader European efforts to promote human rights globally. On the eve of the congress, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot met with United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk in Geneva. Barrot reaffirmed France’s commitment to protecting human rights and welcomed Türk’s launch of the Global Alliance for Human Rights, an initiative aimed at strengthening international cooperation on human rights issues.
Europe’s stance on the death penalty remains clear: all 27 EU member states have abolished it, and the bloc actively campaigns for its universal abolition. The UK, Switzerland, Norway, and most Balkan nations have also outlawed capital punishment, making Europe a death-penalty-free zone. This unified position gives European leaders like Macron a strong platform to criticise rising execution rates elsewhere.
The congress in Paris underscores the continent’s role as a hub for human rights advocacy, even as challenges mount globally. Macron’s speech served as a reminder that the fight against the death penalty requires constant vigilance, particularly in regions where authoritarian governments are expanding its use.
