India remains a retentionist country. At least 162 people were sentenced to death in India in 2018, and 371 were reported to be on death row. 2018 was also the third year in a row that the country did not carry out any execution.

While India has ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in 1979, it has yet to ratify its Second Optional Protocol aiming at the abolition of the death penalty (ICCPR-OP2).

3 April 2018: 3 April 2018: PGA organized in New Delhi (India) discussions on Addressing Inequalities of the Criminal Justice System and the Death Penalty. This event was hosted by Hon. Tariq Anwar, Member of PGA’s Executive Committee, and allowed Indian parliamentarians to meet with academics and civil society representatives to debate and develop strategies to reduce the scope of the death penalty in India.

29 November 2017: PGA organized a side-event to its 39th Annual Forum in Milan (Italy), entitled “Moving Away from Capital Punishment in Asia”. The event focused on the issues and arguments particularly relevant to the abolitionist movement in Asian countries. This gave the opportunity to PGA Member and Member of PGA’s Executive Committee Hon. Tariq Anwar, MP to share his experience with fellow Asian parliamentarians.