On October 10 many international organizations and countries are focusing on the use of the death penalty around the world. The emphasis this year is on mental health issues related to capital punishment, with groups advocating for a ban on the execution of individuals with serious mental illness or intellectual disabilities. People with intellectual disabilities are vulnerable to manipulation during interrogation and have difficulty assisting in their own defense. Mental health problems can be exacerbated by the extreme isolation on death row. Recently, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights released a publication, “Moving Away from the Death Penalty: Arguments, Trends, and Perspectives,” which also discussed international issues related to the death penalty. In a preface to the publication, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, “The death penalty has no place in the 21st century. Leaders across the globe must boldly step forward in favour of abolition. I recommend this book in particular to those States that have yet to abolish the death penalty. Together, let us end this cruel and inhumane practice.”

(“Death Penalty and Mental Health: Detailed Factsheet,” World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, October 10, 2014, the 12th Annual World Day Against the Death Penalty). See DPIC’s pages on International Developments, Mental Illness, and Intellectual Disability.

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