Cities for Life Day

What Is Cities for Life Day?

November 30 is "Cities for Life Day." It is the day of "Cities for Life," a worldwide movement against the death penalty organized by the Community of Sant'Egidio, a Catholic NGO. On the evening of this day, participating cities light up monuments and landmark buildings to call for an end to capital punishment. The first campaign began on November 30, 2002. November 30 was chosen because it marks the day in 1786 when Grand Duke Leopold I of Tuscany (later Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II) declared the abolition of the death penalty, making the Grand Duchy of Tuscany (now part of Italy) the first European state to do so.

The State of the Death Penalty Around the World

According to statistics from the international human rights organization Amnesty International (as of the end of 2024), countries are sharply divided on the death penalty:

• Countries that have abolished the death penalty (in law or in practice): 145
• Countries that retain the death penalty: 54, including China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United States, and Japan
• Number of executions: China is believed to carry out the most (estimated in the thousands), followed by Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq

The Death Penalty in Japan

Japan is one of the few advanced democracies that still retains the death penalty. While public opinion polls generally show majority support for capital punishment, bodies such as the UN, the EU, and the Council of Europe have repeatedly called for its abolition. Japan's practice of not informing death-row inmates of their execution date until the day it happens has drawn international criticism.

Things to Consider on This Day

• Wrongful convictions and the death penalty: there have been cases in Japan where a death sentence was finalized and the person was later proven innocent
• Deterrent effect: there is currently no established scientific evidence that the death penalty reduces crime
• Balancing victim support: it's important to consider the debate over abolishing the death penalty separately from supporting crime victims