Media.
A Message from Richard Branson
Updates from the BizVsDP Campaign
Sir Richard Branson wrote an update on the Business Leaders Against the Death Penalty campaign to share with signatories, highlighting the role business leaders have to play in abolishing capital punishment.
The Arizona Republic: Michelle Cirocco on Abolishing the Death Penalty
Pausing executions is a good start. Now Gov. Katie Hobbs must ban them.
As part of the #BizVsDP campaign, Televerde’s Michelle Cirocco wrote for the Arizona Republic about Governor Hobbs’ executive action to suspend executions, and the need for the entire country to end the practice.
DPIC: Business Leaders Oppose Capital Punishment
Tennessee Business Leader Underscores Problems with the Death Penalty
The Death Penalty Information Center highlighted Mac Bartine’s op-ed in The Tennessean calling for the end to capital punishment in the state and across the country.
The Tennessean: Mac Bartine on Tennessee’s death penalty
Tennessee’s death penalty problems don’t end at lethal injection
As part of the #BizVsDP campaign, business leader Mac Bartine responded to the problems with Tennessee’s use of lethal injection and called for the abolition of capital punishment altogether.
Fast Company: Paul Polman on the need to end capital punishment
Ohio is close to abolishing the death penalty. Here’s why businesses should help
As part of the #BizVsDP campaign, business leader Paul Polman penned an op-ed calling on corporate leaders to step in and support the abolition of the death penalty around the globe.
Yahoo! News: Supreme Court hears death penalty case
Supreme Court hears plea from death row inmate Rodney Reed
The Supreme Court heard a plea from death row inmate Rodney Reed, who argued that he had been convicted of killing a white woman by an all-white jury in Texas and is seeking DNA evidence to overturn his conviction.
The Independent: The Case to Save Richard Glossip
How a note hidden in dusty files for 18 years could stop the execution of Richard Glossip
Oklahoma death row inmate Richard Glossip’s legal team has discovered new documents that could help prove his innocence, reports The Independent’s Josh Marcus.
Yahoo! News: Liz Truss Should Intervene in U.S. Execution
Voices: A British citizen is about to be executed in the US. Liz Truss won’t intervene.
UK Human Rights Lawyer Clive Stafford Smith penned an op-ed on British Prime Minister Liz Truss’ responsibility to weigh in on the scheduled execution of British citizen Kris Maharaj.
The Independent: Evidence Requested in Alabama Execution
Court orders Alabama to preserve evidence after ‘Kafkaesque’ botched midnight execution
Alabama botched a late-night attempted execution — their third failure since 2018 — leading a federal Court to order the state to preserve all evidence pending further investigation.
The Independent: The Death Penalty in Oklahoma
Oklahoma denies clemency for severely mentally ill death row inmate barricaded in his cell
Oklahoma’s Pardon and Parole Board voted against recommending clemency to a 57-year-old death row inmate despite arguments that the man is severely mentally ill, reports Josh Marcus.
Yahoo! News: The Death Penalty in Alabama
Alabama suspends execution after inmate demands novel way to die
A federal court ruled that Alabama cannot execute a death row prisoner via lethal injection after he requested to be killed with nitrogen hypoxia, writes Josh Marcus.
The Independent: The Push to Save Richard Glossip
The case for innocence for Richard Glossip is so strong, individuals across the country — including a majority of the state legislature — have called for a new trial.
Yahoo! News: The Longest Execution in U.S. History
Critics call for investigation into ‘abhorrent’ three-hour Alabama execution
As part of their partnership with RBIJ, The Independent’s Josh Marcus covers the criticism of last month’s execution of Joe Nathan James, Jr., which lasted more than three hours.
ECPM: How businesses can use their voices to support death penalty abolition
Businesses are really important voices in the final push for abolition
RBIJ CEO Celia Ouellette spoke with ECPM about the founding of RBIJ and how businesses can use their platforms to fight for death penalty abolition around the globe.
The Independent: Digiday Media Awards
The Independent is a Digiday Media Awards 2022 finalist for its End the Death Penalty campaign
The Independent’s End the Death Penalty campaign, a media campaign in partnership with RBIJ to create awareness.
VICE: Richard Branson speaks out against Singapore execution
Singapore Just Executed an Inmate at the Heart of a Growing Anti-Death Penalty Movement
The execution of Nagaenthran Dharmalingam sparked new outrage over the use of the death penalty around the world, including by #BizvDP Founder Richard Branson.
The Independent Editorial Board: It’s time to end the death penalty
Why it is beyond time for the US to end the death penalty
The Independent’s Editorial Board added their voice to the #BizvDP campaign, calling for an end to the death penalty in the United States.
The Sydney Morning Herald: Richard Branson fights to prevent execution in Singapore
‘Dark stain’ on Singapore: Branson fights to save low-IQ man from death
In an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald, Sir Richard Branson — founder of RBIJ’s #BizvDP campaign — calls for a halt in the scheduled execution of Nagaenthran Dharmalingam in Singapore.
Watch: RBIJ CEO Celia Ouellette talks to CBS News about the recent stay of execution granted to Melissa Lucio
Just days before Melissa Lucio was set to be executed over the death of her daughter, a Texas appeals court stepped in, saying new evidence should be heard first. Celia discusses the case and the renewed debate over capital punishment in the U.S.
Watch: Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson, actor Stephen Fry, and activist Tim Shriver call on Singapore to halt executions
To execute an intellectually disabled man for drug offences should outrage us all. Sir Richard Branson, Stephen Fry, and Tim Shriver call on Singapore President Jacob to spare the life of Nagaenthran Dharmalingam.
The Independent: Melissa Lucio is granted stay of execution
Emotional moment Melissa Lucio learns she has been granted a stay of execution
Just days before her scheduled execution, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted a stay in Melissa Lucio’s case, reports Rachel Sharp.
The Independent: Melissa Lucio’s son fights for his mother’s freedom
Bobby Alvarez was just seven years old when his mother was sentenced. He has spent the past 15 years fighting for her freedom, reports The Independent’s Rachel Sharp.
The Independent: Tennessee governor halts execution
Just days before Oscar Smith was set to be executed, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee granted a temporary reprieve. Smith’s execution method was set to use the same three-drug protocol that caused an “accidental torture” in Oklahoma last year.
The Independent: Texas prosecutor rescinds request for execution date
Less than a week after requesting an execution date, Nueces County District Attorney Mark Gonzalez announced he will no longer seek the death penalty nor request execution dates for anyone on death row.
The Independent: Amanda Knox speaks out against Melissa Lucio’s execution
Speaking out on social media, Amanda Knox compared Melissa Lucio’s case to her own wrongful conviction, writes Rachel Sharp for The Independent.
The Independent: South Carolina set to carry out execution by firing squad
How does execution by firing squad work in South Carolina
South Carolina spent $53,600 to renovate the death chamber in Columbia to allow the firing squad method to be used, reports The Independent’s Graeme Massie.
The Independent: Tennessee death row inmate brings new DNA evidence
Tennessee death row inmate seeks to halt execution next week over DNA evidence
An inmate on Tennessee’s death row is calling for a delay in his scheduled execution to allow an appeals court to review new DNA evidence in his case.
The Independent: Sister Helen Prejean speaks out against execution of Melissa Lucio
Nun who wrote ‘Dead Man Walking’ joins calls to save Melissa Lucio from execution
Sister Helen Prejean, a Catholic nun and longtime advocate for the abolition of the death penalty, wrote on social media about her opposition to the execution of Melissa Lucio.
The Independent: Legislators rally against Melissa Lucio’s execution
Majority of Texas Senators urge state to stop ‘miscarriage of justice’ Melissa Lucio execution
The majority of both chambers of the Texas legislature now oppose the execution of Melissa Lucio, and are calling on the Governor to intervene, writes Josh Marcus for The Independent.
The Independent: Melissa Lucio’s Prosecution Full of “Red Flags”
Melissa Lucio ‘a symbol of wrongful convictions,’ documentary director says as execution approaches
Sabrina Van Tassel, director of the award-winning film The State of Texas vs Melissa, speaks to The Independent's Josh Marcus about what she learned while making the film.
The Independent: Melissa Lucio’s Case is a False Confession
Gisli Gudjonsson adresses Melissa Lucio’s case in light of her decades of work on criminal justice and false confessions.
The Independent: An Unlikely Coalition Aims to Stop a Texas Execution
Why Kim Kardashian and others are rallying to stop the ‘tragic’ execution of Melissa Lucio in Texas
Kim Kardashian, bipartisan lawmakers, and activists across the country are calling on Texas Governor Greg Abbott to grant clemency to Melissa Lucio.
The Independent: Why Women End Up on Death Row
Women on death row: How being a ‘bad mother, bad wife and bad woman’ became a death warrant
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp traces the history of women on death row, and explains how women can be sentenced for failing to meet a unique set of expectations.
The Independent: Juror Calls for Melissa Lucio Retrial
Juror who sentenced Melissa Lucio to death for daughter’s murder calls for retrial: ‘I was wrong’
A juror from the original trial of Melissa Lucio, a Texas woman currently on death row, calls for a retrial, claiming he was misled and pressured to convict.
BBC World Service
Singapore plans to execute mentally disabled man.
Singapore has dismissed a last-ditch appeal to stop the execution of a mentally disabled Malaysian man convicted of drug smuggling. Virgin Founder Richard Branson and RBIJ founder Celia Ouellette are interviewed by the BBC World Service about this horrendous miscarriage of justice - and why it’s not too late to stop the madness.
The Independent: South Carolina Brings Back Firing Squad
Thirty-five people currently sit on South Carolina’s death row. If firing squad executions restart, those inmates will join the only three people who have been executed by firing squad in the US since 1976, writes Josh Marcus.
The Independent: The Close of California’s Death Row
California to close death row and convert it into a ‘positive, healing environment’
The largest death row facility in the United States is set to close following an announcement by California governor Gavin Newsom, writes The Independent as part of our #BizVsDP partnership.
KNRS/Rod Arquette Show
Financial advantages to ending Utah's death penalty
Jeff Wright, Chairman of Actium Partners, joined the Rod Arquette Show to discuss his op-ed piece in the Deseret News on why he says the time is right to end the death penalty in Utah.
Deseret News
Ending the death penalty would help Utah’s economy and make people safer.
Actium Partners Chairman Jeff Wright penned this oped outlining how capital punishment flies in the face of good governance, fiscal responsibility and evidence-based policymaking - and threatens Utah’s economy.
Salt Lake Tribune
Irving Roland: We must seize this moment to end the death penalty in Utah.
Utah Jazz Deputy Coach wrote an oped in the Salt Lake Tribune calling for an end to Utah’s racist death penalty - a descendant of lynching and link to America’s shameful past.
The Independent: Donald Grant
Oklahoma set to execute disabled Black man a month before trial challenging lethal injection begins
Oklahoma is to execute another inmate this week using its controversial lethal injection, a month before a federal lawsuit begins challenging the drugs as an unconstitutional, cruel, and unusual punishment, writes Josh Marcus as part of our #BizVsDP Partnership.
Vice
Richard Branson wants Singapore to spare a prisoner’s life. We asked him why.
In an interview with VICE World News, the billionaire anti-death penalty activist and RBIJ CEO Celia Ouellette highlighted the case of an intellectually disabled man sitting on death row.
Yahoo Finance
Republicans in ultra-conservative Utah introduce bill to outlaw the death penalty.
As lawmakers in Utah get ready to take up a historic Republican-led bill seeking to repeal the state’s death penalty, more than 240 business leaders have declared their opposition to capital punishment.
The Independent: Death Penalty in Utah
Republicans in ultra-conservative Utah introduce bill to outlaw the death penalty.
A unlikely alliance of victims’ families, liberal and libertarian activists, business leaders and conservative legislators are pushing for repeal, Josh Marcus writes.
Singapore's Capital Punishment
Singapore’s death penalty for drug crimes under scrutiny as disabled smuggler awaits his fate.
Executing Nagaenthran Dharmalingam will not address Singapore’s drug trafficking problem but could damage the country’s reputation, writes The Independent's Arpan Rai.
Don't Execute Julius Jones
Virgin founder Richard Branson's letter to Governor Stitt of Oklahoma.
The Virgin Group founder wrote to the Governor of Oklahoma, joining the thousands calling on him to commute the death sentence of Julius Jones.
Lessons from Julius Jones
Some of the most complicated questions about the death penalty can be found between the headlines, writes The Independent's Josh Marcus.
The Independent Interviews Lava Records' Jason Flom
Why the record exec behind Lorde and Katy Perry is fighting against the death penalty.
Jason Flom talks to The Independent's Clémence Michallon about legendary miscarriages of justice, the case that inspired him to get involved, and why we shouldn't kill innocent people.
Women on Death Row
Women on death row: How being a ‘bad mother, bad wife and bad woman’ became a death warrant.
Women are vastly outnumbered by men on death row across America. But experts say the small number who are sentenced to death usually break society’s expectations of a ‘good woman’, Rachel Sharp reports for The Independent.
Billboard
Music industry leaders join fight to abolish the death penalty: 'We have a responsibility.'
Merck Mercuriadis and Jason Flom have signed onto a Richard Branson-led campaign to end capital punishment across the globe, writes Chris Eggertsen.
Richard Branson - It Could Happen to You
Richard Branson outlines his opposition to the death penalty while announcing the release of two videos - coproduced by HiddenLight and Virgin Unite - telling the story of two innocent people exoneragted from death row.
The Guardian
More than 150 global business leaders call for end of death penalty.
More than 150 global business leaders have signed a declaration calling for the end of the death penalty around the world and criticizing capital punishment for perpetuating inequality, writes Lauren Aratani.
The Independent - Editorial
Why it is beyond time for the US to end the death penalty.
The Independent is adding its voice to a campaign backed by Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg, and Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson to end this barbaric practice.
MarketWatch
One of the most egregious injustices - the death penalty - can be abolished if investors take a stand.
Newsweek
More than 150 business leaders back campaign to end death penalty.
Khaleda Rehman reports on this business-led campaign working to eradicate capital punishment around the world.
The Independent - Interview
He’s been to space – now Richard Branson says his next mission is ending the death penalty.
‘I think to be a truly civilised country, you must realise that killing people as a way of trying to teach people not to kill people is not the way to do it,’ the British billionaire tells The Independent’s Nathan Place.
Forbes
Richard Branson on why the death penalty is the latest front for business activism.
Senior Editor Jena McGregor spoke to Mr Branson and RBIJ CEO Celia Ouellette about the Business Leaders Against the Death Penalty campaign.
Bloomberg
Branson’s anti-death penalty drive backed by 150 business chiefs.
A coalition of corporate chiefs seeking to abolish capital punishment in the U.S. and elsewhere has more than tripled in size since May, Christopher Jasper reports.
The Independent - RBIJ Oped
Businesses have to lead the fight to end capital punishment.
Capital punishment is racist in its implementation, frequently used a tool of political oppression and social control and it is frighteningly expensive for something that doesn’t work.
Al Jazeera
What does it take to get CEOs to stand against the death penalty?
With some of the biggest names in business signing up to end the death penalty, Al Jazeera's Radmilla Suleymanova speaks to the woman organising the effort.
The Independent - Partnership Launch
Executives, consumers and employees all increasingly want companies to take a stand, and few issues are more urgent than the death penalty. Josh Marcus writes on why The Independent and dozens of leaders are calling for change.
Democracy Talks - Embassy of Sweden
Webinar - Business Leaders Against the Death Penalty.
This virtual expert conversation explores new perspectives in working towards the abolishment of the death penalty took place on October 5. The event was co-hosted by the Embassy of Sweden and the Responsible Business Initiative for Justice, and featured Ambassadors to the United States Lambrinidis (EU) and Olofsdotter (Sweden).
PRWeek
Company heads have signed the Business Leaders Declaration Against the Death Penalty.
Betsy Kim reports on how more than 150 business leaders are rallying to support an end to capital punishment.
The Hill
More business leaders back campaign to end the death penalty.
Over 130 business leaders from around the world declared their support for a global campaign to end capital punishment on Thursday, writes IV Hendrix.
BBC World Service
Why business leaders are more crucial than ever to ending capital punishment.
Those campaigning for its abolition have found an ally in the business community. BBC's Business Matters spoke to Celia Ouellette, CEO at RBIJ, and Jason Flom, CEO of Lava Records, about the campaign (minute 26:00).
City A.M
The interview: Sir Richard Branson on the past, present and future
Richard Branson used this interview to highlight the massive failings of capital punishment and the #BizVsDP campaign’s efforts to abolish the death penalty around the world.
PRWeek Awards
2021 Purpose Awards Shortlist Revealed.
The #BizVsDP campaign has been nominated for two awards! RBIJ are honored to have been shortlisted (alongside partners Porter Novelli, Virgin and Virgin Unite) by PRWeek in the categories Best Collaboration and Best Public Awareness.
Bloomberg
Sheryl Sandberg and Marc Benioff join death penalty campaign.
Sheryl Sandberg (Facebook) and Marc Benioff (Salesforce), two of the tech world’s biggest names, signed on with a coalition of corporate leaders who are pushing to abolish capital punishment globally.
Paul Polman for Business Insider
Business leaders cannot ignore America's cruel, racist death penalty.
The former Unilever CEO wrote an oped in which he outlines how no business leader can ignore America's cruel, racist death penalty. People expect the private sector to take a stand.
CNN
Rep. Ayanna Pressley adds support to end death penalty.
90 members of Congress — including the first Republican, Michigan Rep. Peter Meijer — have co-sponsored the bill and 265 organizations and businesses have shown their support.
Al Jazeera
40+ business leaders join pact to end death penalty.
Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg is among the latest executives to sign on to a global pledge against capital punishment first launched by Virgin Group founder Richard Branson earlier this year.
Michelle Cirocco for Arizona Capitol Times
The return of the death penalty takes Arizona backwards.
Michelle Cirocco, Chief Social ResponsibIlity Officer at Televerde, explains in this oped why the planned return of capital punishment flies in the face of Arizona's economic, social and moral interests.
Montgomery Advertiser
Let’s kill the death penalty with capitalism.
Stephen Cooper illustrates how businesses can be critical in the fight to end the death penalty, and the effectiveness of leveraging capitalism’s pursuit of the dollar to provoke social change. Highlighting the Business Leaders Against the Death Penalty Campaign, Cooper writes: "Isn’t threatening wallets, pocketbooks, endowments, and so forth — and what keeps them flush with money — the likeliest way to spark change in the hearts and minds of death penalty proponents?”.
Inc.
Here's the Big Social Justice Issue Richard Branson Wants You to Care About.
Sir Richard Branson used his time at SXSW this month to talk about his new initiative to abolish the death penalty. All business founders, owners, and leaders are invited to take part in the campaign, and many have already signed on, among them Arianna Huffington, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, founders of Ben & Jerry's, and Life Is Good founder Bert Jacobs.
Business Insider
Sir Richard Branson spoke to Insider about his ongoing campaign to eradicate capital punishment.
Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson has joined forces with other business leaders to launch a campaign to abolish capital punishment in the US and other countries. The 70-year-old billionaire announced the Business Leaders Against the Death Penalty Declaration in a virtual SXSW event in Austin, Texas, last month.
Bloomberg
Billionaire Richard Branson leads business push to abolish death penalty
A coalition of business leaders led by Richard Branson is organizing to abolish capital punishment across the world, with a focus on the U.S., amid a broader global push for racial and economic justice.
ABC
Branson leads business group demanding end to death penalty
Virgin Group Chairman Richard Branson feels the time has come to galvanize business leaders in a movement to eradicate the death penalty, a cause he has ardently supported for years.
The Guardian
'Inhumane and flawed': global business leaders urge governments to end death penalty
Global business leaders launched a campaign on Thursday declaring their opposition to the death penalty, urging governments everywhere to end the practice and asking their peers to join them.
CNN
Richard Branson launches campaign to end the death penalty
Virgin Group founder Richard Branson is calling for a permanent end to capital punishment around the globe, and he wants more business leaders to get on board.
Al Jazeera
Is the world at a ‘tipping point’ to abolish the death penalty?
Business leaders from different sectors and spanning multiple continents are joining forces to call for an end to the death penalty, urging governments to commute death sentences, impose moratoria on executions and support ballot initiatives to end capital punishment for good.
Fast Company
Richard Branson: Why business leaders should advocate for the end of the death penalty
The Virgin founder lays out why he has launched the Business Leaders’ Declaration Against the Death Penalty alongside RBIJ, and the support it will bring to abolition campaigns worldwide.
The Hill
Global business leaders launch campaign against the death penalty
Global business leaders, led by Virgin founder Richard Branson, launched a campaign declaring their opposition to the death penalty on Thursday.
TriplePundit
U.S. business leaders can tip the balance on the death penalty
Inadvertently or not, Donald Trump has provided corporate citizens with a powerful new opportunity to embrace abolition of the death penalty as part of their pursuit of equal justice and support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
Virgin Blog
Business leaders standing up against the death penalty
The death penalty is in retreat. And business leaders are joining the growing movement to end it.
Common Dreams
'A Moral Imperative': Business leaders demand death penalty abolition worldwide
Acknowledging the injustice, inhumanity, and ineffectiveness of capital punishment, a group of global business leaders on Thursday issued a declaration calling for the worldwide abolition of the death penalty.