Macron warns against restarting death penalty debate as executions rise around the world

French President Emmanuel Macron warned on Tuesday against a renewed debate in favour of the death penalty and said he was appalled by the rising number of executions around the world.

He described the fight against the death penalty as a fight for human dignity and of the utmost relevance. While the world had never been so close to abolishing the death penalty, there had never been so many executions in the countries that continued to practise it, he said.

“The number of executions even reached its highest level since 1981 last year: 2,707 people were executed by the authorities in 17 countries alone,” Macron said.

Some 25,000 people were living under the crushing expectation of their execution, the French president said.

Macron voiced support for opponents of the death penalty in their fight: “Ultimately, the cause of worldwide abolition of the death penalty cannot be advanced without the indispensable mobilisation of civil society, non-governmental organisations and human rights defenders who are the driving forces behind the movement to abolish the death penalty.”