In response to California Governor Gavin Newsom’s announcement today that he will grant clemency and commute the death sentences of those he can on California’s death row and recommend the California Supreme Court review the other cases, Nadia Daar, Executive Director of Amnesty International USA, said:
“This is a day that will be remembered in California’s history and resonate globally for years to come. Responding to calls from Clemency California, Amnesty International, and more than 40 international organizations, Governor Newsom has announced a decisive and powerful step away from the use of the death penalty – the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.
“Governor Newsom’s moratorium on the use of the death penalty upon taking office almost 8 years ago was an important step, but it was always temporary. Now, as he leaves office, he has taken another step to correct the injustice of the death penalty and solidified his position against the death penalty and is building a foundation for others in California to continue to move the state towards full abolition.
“California has gone two decades without an execution, yet, with more than 550 people, has the largest death row in the nation. Governor Newsom’s decision turns that long pause into meaningful and lasting progress against an inherently cruel, discriminatory and irreversible system that is antithetical to human rights.
“The death penalty should be abolished, everywhere. Today marks a significant moment for human rights in California and across the country, but it is not the finishing line. The world is watching, and this decision is showing that progress is possible, and the United States, which remains among a small group of countries that continues to carry out executions, can move beyond the death penalty.”
Additional information
– According to the California Constitution, a governor can directly grant clemency or commute sentences for individuals with only one conviction (which accounts for roughly 40% of the state’s death row). For people with multiple felony convictions, the governor cannot grant clemency unless a majority of the California Supreme Court formally approves it.
– As of 2025, 113 countries had abolished the death penalty for all crimes, and 145 had abolished it in law or practice. Year after year, the United States is consistently in the top handful of countries that uses the death penalty. According to Amnesty International’s latest annual report, only 17 countries carried out executions in 2025. Meanwhile, in 2025, executions in the U.S. climbed to their highest level since 2009.
– In 2025, the U.S. carried out 47 executions in 11 states, reaching the highest annual total since 2009. Florida drove the spike with 19 executions. South Carolina, Texas, and Alabama followed with five executions in each state. Other states that used the death penalty were Tennessee (3), Arizona (2), Indiana (2), Mississippi (2), Oklahoma (2), Missouri (1) and Louisiana (1). The U.S. was among the top five highest-executing countries of 2025.
– Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases, without exception, regardless of the circumstances of the crime, the guilt or innocence of the person, or the method of execution.