the United Nation's human rights chief, Louise Arbour, has said she is "guardedly optimistic" that China is making progress on human rights. But she questioned Beijing's widespread use of the death penalty, warning that some of those being executed might be victims of discrimination.

the head of Iran’s Judiciary called harsh and speedy punishments for individuals convicted of a variety of organised crimes, many of which carry the death penalty.

Iraq executed three convicted murderers, the first time the government has carried out the death penalty since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, government spokesman Laith Kubba said.

prosecutors in the self-declared republic of Somaliland asked a regional court to sentence to death 10 people suspected of killing aid workers between 2002-2004.

Mohammad bin Ghanem al-Fifi, a Saudi man, was beheaded by the sword in the southwestern region of Asir after he was convicted of fatally shooting a compatriot.

Laos, which is not believed to have carried out an execution for more than a decade, passed death sentences on two drug traffickers, the official KPL news agency said.

“Freedom, Rights and Democracy in Cuba” states a banner during the protest organized by the Radical Party outside the Cuban embassy in Rome.

to keep public attention on the plight of political prisoners and the repression of dissent in Cuba two years after the wave of crackdowns, HOC and the ‘Fundació Llibertat i Democràcia’ have promoted an exhibition in Barcelona by Oliviero Toscani entitled ‘FORBIDDEN TO THINK, THE FACE OF REPRESSION IN CUBA’.

the definitive ‘No’ by the Vatican on the question of euthanasia, does not correspond to its definitive ‘No’ against the death penalty,” declared Hands Off Cain Secretary Sergio D’Elia, in a dispute with the Vatican which had written in its daily, the Osservatore Romano, on March 22 that “Terri’s destiny does not appear dissimilar from that of many men and women sentenced to death for their crimes in the United States”.

to keep public attention on the plight of political prisoners and the repression of dissent in Cuba two years after the wave of crackdowns, HOC, Con Cuba en la distancia and Reporters sans frontiers have promoted an exhibition in Cadiz by Oliviero Toscani entitled ‘FORBIDDEN TO THINK, THE FACE OF REPRESSION IN CUBA’.

Hands off Cain, the international association which has been promoting an international campaign for a global moratorium on capital executions, appealed President of Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh to spare the Amina’s life. Amina al-Abduladif, a 21-year-old mother, has been convicted of murdering her husband when she was 16 despite.

Belarus deputy presidential chief of staff Natalya Petkevich said the death sentence might be annulled in the country via a national referendum.