a permanent activist for the universal abolition of the death penalty

The former Minister of Justice fought throughout his life for the abolition of capital punishment throughout the world. A fight that he knew was unfinished, while 51 countries are still practicing it in 2024.

Robert Badinter died on the night of Thursday February 8, at the age of 95. LThe former president of the Constitutional Council was also the Minister of Justice under socialist President François Mitterrand. It was at this time that he introduced the law of October 9, 1981 which abolished the death penalty, in a France then majority in favor of this supreme punishment. He subsequently invested, until his last breath of life, for the universal abolition of capital punishment.

On the website of the association Together against the death penalty, it is written “Thank you Mr Badinter”, accompanied by a photo of the former minister who still seems to be looking at us to say: “Don’t give up the fight”.

“I was with him last December 28, we were still working, we were talking”remembers with emotion the general director of the association Raphaël Chenuil-Hazan. “We saw each other once every two months to talk about our activity. I explained to him our strategic plan: where we want to go, in which country, with what approach. And he answered us with the same acuity as 10 years ago. Robert Badinter, not only until the end of his life was committed, but until the end of his life, he had this spark, this glimmer of relevance, this intelligence which for me as a director was unique, I was lucky enough to be able to be accompanied by the greatest of men”declares Raphaël Chenuil-Hazan.

111 countries have abolished the death penalty, 51 still practice it

Robert Badinter campaigned until the last minute, because he knew of the unfinished crusade to abolish the death penalty everywhere on the planet. The last country to have abolished the death penalty, in 2023, is Ghana, bringing to 111 the number of countries having taken the plunge, with nuances depending on the country. There are those where the death penalty no longer exists, such as in France, Canada, South Africa or Mongolia. Those where it is no longer practiced for common law crimes, but where it can still be applied in certain exceptional cases, such as high treason in times of war, this is the case in Brazil, Peru or even in Chile. And iThere are countries which have signed a moratorium, such as in certain American states, but also in Algeria, Kenya or Mozambique. Finally, 51 countries still practice the death penalty, such as China, India, Ethiopia, Iran and Saudi Arabia. It is estimated that 30,000 people will be on death row worldwide in 2024.

A universal fight and a planetary aura

Robert Badinter was a tireless pilgrim against the death penalty, a unique character with a global aura. From the Mandela family to that of Martin Luther King, wherever he traveled in the world, he was recognized. Raphaël Chenuil Hazan traveled with the former minister around the world and everywhere, strangers and celebrities alike recognized him. “In the United States, young law students came to ask for autographs even though they didn’t speak a word of French, sometimes they didn’t even speak English. We had personalities in the countries who asked me if they could have an autograph from Badinter, even though they themselves were personalities in their own country”, remembers Raphaël Chenuil Hazan. For him, if Robert Badin had this planetary aura, it is because he “was able to show the world that human rights and the abolition of the death penalty are universal issues. And it is this universality that he carried within him and which made him known all over the world.. A universal fight which reminds us that there are still five ways of condemning people to death in the world: by decapitation, by electrocution, by hanging, by bullet and by injection.