Thesis:

Human Rights and the Death Penalty: An Analysis of the Human Rights Aspects of the Death Penalty and Its Impact on Society

Amnesty International believes that the death penalty violates human rights, especially the right to life and the right to be free from torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment. These two rights are guaranteed in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted in 1948. The death penalty, as one of the most severe and controversial forms of criminal punishment, has always been at the center of human rights debates. Findings from a review of scientific sources and legal documents show that executions in many cases conflict with human rights principles, including the prohibition of inhumane treatment, the principle of judicial impartiality, and the principle of human dignity. The effectiveness of the death penalty as a deterrent is also seriously questioned. Finally, given the increasing number of countries abolishing the death penalty and the efforts of international institutions to eliminate this punishment, it is suggested that countries, in line with their international obligations and with the aim of protecting human dignity, review their criminal laws and adopt more humane alternatives to deal with serious crimes. From a moral perspective, it also seems that the right to life has been raised as a superior right in international documents, and derived from international rules, the abolition of the death penalty has been accepted as a principle and only on the condition that serious crimes have been committed. The purpose of implementing punishment, other than its punitive aspect, is to create intimidation in the individual and the social rehabilitation of the offender, which will not occur in the application of the death penalty.

Keywords: Keywords: human rights, death penalty, society