Sept. 22
EUROPE:
World, Black Community Shocked By Execution Of Troy Davis
The execution of Troy Davis may have taken him away from this earth, but the
movement to kill the death penalty across the world is picking up steam.
The state of Georgia made Troy Davis the poster boy for the global movement to
end the death penalty after many considered him to be unjustly executed due to
a lack of evidence.
World figures, including Pope Benedict XVI and former U.S. President Jimmy
Carter, human groups and commentators urged the execution to be halted — but to
no avail. On Wednesday, Davis was put to death by lethal injection for the 1989
killing of off-duty police officer Mark MacPhail despite doubts being raised
over the conviction.
While there weren’t riots in the surrounding area of the execution site, many
across the country were in tears and anguish over the execution.
The execution sparked angry reactions and protests in European capitals — as
well as outrage on social media. “We strongly deplore that the numerous appeals
for clemency were not heeded,” the French foreign ministry said.
“There are still serious doubts about his guilt,” said Germany’s junior
minister for human rights Markus Loening. “An execution is irreversible — a
judicial error can never be repaired.”
The European Union expressed “deep regret” over the execution and repeated its
call for a universal moratorium on capital punishment.
(source: Associated Press)
IRAN----execution
One man was hanged in southern Iran early this morning
One prisoner was hanged in Minab, in southern Iranian province of Hormozgan
today.
According to the state-run Iranian news agency Fars, the prisoner was
identified as "A. G." and was convicted of smugling 6300 grams of crack.
The report didn’t mention whether the execution took place in the prison or in
public.
(source: Iran Human Rights)
****************
UN calls for death penalty end over teenager’s execution in Iran----UN calls
for end to death penalty over teenager in Iran execution.
A group of independent United Nations human rights experts have condemned the
execution of a teenager carried out yesterday by Iranian authorities, and
called once again for an immediate halt to the country’s use of the death
penalty.
Alireza Molla-Soltani, 17, was publicly executed by hanging on Wednesday. He
was reportedly sentenced to death last month for stabbing a popular athlete to
death in mid-July, which he said was done in self-defense.
“We are outraged at the execution practice in Iran despite the international
community’s and our repeated calls for a moratorium,” the experts – on human
rights in Iran, on summary executions, on the independence of the judiciary,
and on torture – said in a news release.
“Any judgment imposing the death penalty upon juveniles below the age of 18,
and their execution, are incompatible with Iran’s international obligations,”
they stressed.
This year alone, more than 200 people have been executed in Iran, the majority
of whom were charged with drug-related offences, the news release noted. A man
convicted of drug trafficking was also hanged in Iran on Wednesday, according
to media reports.
The experts said that it is widely accepted that the death penalty is an
extreme punishment, and that it may only be imposed for the most serious
crimes.
“We, however, regret that execution is common practice for people charged with
drug-related offences, which do not amount to the most serious crimes.”
The experts – Christof Heyns, Ahmed Shaheed, Gabriela Knaul and Juan Méndez –
called on the Iranian Government to immediately implement a moratorium on the
death penalty, particularly in drug-related and juvenile cases.
UN human rights experts work in an independent and unpaid capacity, and report
to the Geneva-based Human Rights Council.
(source: Bikya Masr)
************
“Stop Executions,” 4 UN Human Rights Experts Tell Iran On 22 September 2011 4
United Nations Special Rapporteurs for executions, torture, human rights in
Iran, and independence of the judiciary, issued a joint statement condemning
Iran’s recent execution of a juvenile and called for the country to immediately
institute a moratorium on the death penalty.
Yesterday, 21 September, Iranian authorities hanged 17-year-old offender
Alireza Molla-Soltani in public. Under the International Covenant on Civil
Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child it is illegal to
execute someone for crimes committed under the age of eighteen. Iran is party
to both treaties. Nonetheless Iran remains one of a handful of countries still
putting juveniles to death. This year Iran executed at least 3 juveniles,
including Soltani.
The International Campaign for Iran has repeatedly expressed concern about
Iran’s skyrocketing executions, the vast majority of which do not meet
international standards. Iran puts to death more people per-capita than any
other country in the world and is only second to China in total numbers of
executions. In the first 3 weeks of September alone Iran has executed 51
people.
(source: Iran Human Rights)
_______________________________________________
DeathPenalty mailing list
DeathPenalty@lists.washlaw.edu
http://lists.washlaw.edu/mailman/listinfo/deathpenalty
Search the Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/deathpenalty@lists.washlaw.edu/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A free service of WashLaw
http://washlaw.edu
(785)670.1088
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
