the US Supreme Court declined to review the case of Stanley "Tookie" Williams, a California death-row inmate whose attorneys argued that the prosecutor had engaged in racial discrimination in selecting the jury for his trial.

the state-run daily Iran wrote "The Judiciary in Shahriar sentenced to death a 17-year-old, named Hamid."

Europe's leading human rights watchdog pleaded with the United States and Japan to end capital punishment, arguing their example would force others to follow.

the UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, speaking as Presidency on behalf of the EU, issued the following statement to mark the World Day against the Death Penalty.

Turkey’s Parliament passed the Protocol No. 13 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, concerning the abolition of the death penalty in all circumstances.

Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis expressed hope that Russia would ratify the sixth protocol to the European Convention of Human Rights.

a Pakistani military court sentenced four air force staff to death and two to life in jail on for their involvement in an al Qaeda-inspired assassination attempt on President Pervez Musharraf in 2003.

Iraqi lawmakers approved the death penalty for anyone financing or “provoking” terrorism.

Johnny Paul Penry, a convicted killer whose case stirred national debate over whether mentally retarded inmates should be executed had his death sentence overturned for the third time.

it was reported by Iranian press that a 26 year old man was condemned to “three hangings”.

a boy sentenced to death at 17 years of age will be executed, reported the Iranian daily Etemad.

Hands Off Cain’s “2005 Report – The Death Penalty Worldwide”, edited in its Spanish edition by HOC board member Begoña R. Antigüedad, was presented in Madrid at the Spanish Senate.