Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj

MONGOLIA: HISTORIC VOTE ABOLISHES DEATH PENALTY

December 3, 2015: Mongolia’s parliament became the latest to consign the death penalty to the history books, in a major victory for human rights in the country.  
Lawmakers voted in favour of a new Criminal Code that abolishes the death penalty for all crimes. The new Criminal Code will take effect from September 2016.
The last execution in Mongolia was in 2008 and the death penalty remained classified as a state secret. Since then, the country has taken a series of steps towards abolition culminating in the historic parliamentary vote.
In 2010, the country’s President, Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, commuted all death sentences and announced a moratorium on all executions. In 2012, Mongolia ratified an international treaty committing the country to the abolition of the death penalty.
President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj has repeatedly said Mongolia must turn its back on the death penalty in order to fully respect the right to life. He argued that the threat of executions does not have a deterrent effect and the risk of a miscarriage of justice is inherent in any system of justice. (Sources: Amnesty International, 04/12/2015)