Global parliamentarians challenge death sentence at IPU Assembly

ARUSHA, TANZANIA: Lawmakers, international human rights advocates, and legal experts from across the world have examined diverse legislative perspectives to challenge dealth penalty and reshape criminal justice frameworks worldwide, calling for the abolition of the death penalty and the critical protection of vulnerable populations, particularly minors.

During a panel discussion moderated by German Bundestag member Claudia Roth—focused on the role of parliamentarians in the abolition of the death penalty and held on Tuesday on the sidelines of the ongoing 153rd IPU Assembly in Arusha—a cross-section of discussants agreed that the death penalty constitutes torture within an irreversible justice system.

Barbara Lochbihler, Commissioner of the International Commission against the Death Penalty (ICDP) and former Member of the European Parliament, opened the panel by emphasizing that legislative policy changes must be driven from within countries by local civil society actors and parliamentarians rather than through external pressure.

The former Member of the European Parliament highlighted how, through ongoing parliamentary meetings, advocates had successfully influenced policies to grant migrant workers access to essential health insurance and basic services for their children.

Lochbihler said coordinated international efforts had continuously pushed for guarantees that minors under the age of 18 who commit crimes are spared from capital punishment.

The ICDP commissioner cited former leaders of Mongolia and the Philippines, who have jointly played an influential role by directly engaging Chinese officials to demonstrate alternative, non-lethal methods of combating crime.

For her part, Millie Odhiambo, a Kenyan Member of Parliament and chair of Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) Kenya, spoke on the power of cross-partisan coalitions and private members’ legislation.

The MP noted that bills aimed at abolishing the death penalty have historically been introduced by opposition members, stressing the importance of multi-party cooperation.

Drawing from her background as a lawyer representing abused children, Odhiambo highlighted a deep systemic flaw whereby legal systems often pay disproportionate attention to offenders rather than victims.

She detailed her legislative success in introducing the Victim Protection Act into the Kenyan Constitution to guarantee recognition and compensation for crime victims.

Furthermore, she addressed recent national tensions in her home country, including a 2024 parliamentary breach involving Gen Z protesters that resulted in tragic youth fatalities.

While the government established a compensation fund for grieving families, Odhiambo noted that financial payouts cannot replace lost lives, and legal systems must continue striving for a proper balance between accountability and human rights.

Chonlathan Supphaiboonlerd, a Member of Thailand’s House of Representatives, emphasized the importance of engaging young legislators and leveraging regional bodies such as the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), which features a dedicated young parliamentarians’ caucus.

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Supphaiboonlerd argued that the death penalty constitutes torture, which is strictly prohibited under international law and fundamentally incompatible with an imperfect, irreversible justice system.

Addressing public opinion that views capital punishment as the sole proportionate response to serious crimes, he urged a historical perspective: “Just as societal views on patriarchal family structures have dramatically evolved from Roman times to the modern era, public ‘common sense’ regarding punishment can shift through continuous research, evidence, and dialogue.”

He argued that while families of victims often call for capital punishment for closure, empirical insights and personal accounts suggest that execution does not genuinely alleviate a family’s profound grief.

The core challenge remains balancing victim safety with the absolute protection of individuals against state-sanctioned torture.
Concluding the discussion, moderator Claudia Roth praised the panelists for inspiring delegates not to view the dialogue as a final endpoint, but rather as an urgent catalyst.

“This is not where we deal with the question and forget it,” Roth remarked. “It is a starting point to continue, especially within the framework of the IPU, ensuring that we maintain our momentum for human rights and the protection of minors.”

Aside from rights groups, the discussion was well attended by parliamentarians from both abolitionist and retentionist countries participating in the 153rd IPU Assembly.

The panel lineup included Ms Barbara Lochbihler, Commissioner of the ICDP and former Member of the European Parliament; and Ms Sylvie Kayitesi, Commissioner of the ICDP, former Deputy Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Rwanda, former Commissioner of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), and former Chairperson of the Working Group on Death Penalty in Africa.