Our mission statement

As a non-profit organization, the German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty is committed to the worldwide abolition of the death penalty.

Our work is characterized by competence and transparency. It is guided by the contents of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights with its additional protocols and other human rights conventions.

We are convinced that the death penalty is a cruel form of punishment that violates human dignity.

We respect the prisoner as a human being without accepting his crime.

The focus of our activities is on well-founded educational work, non-partisan political commitment and prisoner support.

We…
… provide German- and English-language information and current news
… organize campaigns to raise awareness about the death penalty
… cooperate with other national and international organizations in the field of human rights in order to achieve a sustainable impact of actions
… are contact persons for death row inmates, whom we focus on arranging pen pal friendships
… help with individual concerns and offer additional support especially for pen pals of death row inmates

The German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty is a steadily growing association whose members are mostly based in Germany, but also in other European and non-European countries. The members of the German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty work together in a spirit of trust. We attach great importance to democratic structures and offer every member the opportunity to contribute according to his or her abilities and interests.

We are actively and constructively committed to the realization of our common goal, the abolition of the death penalty worldwide.