Death Penalty: The Last Legitimate Crime
As the world stands still to promote the abolition of the death
penalty on 10 October 2008, many states still apply capital
punishment for the most marginal crimes.
Below is an article written by UNPO:
The abolition of the death penalty has become a heavily politicized
subject over the past decades. With Europe being the only region in
the world where the death penalty is no longer applied. All 47
members of the Council of Europe have abolished or installed a
moratorium on the death penalty. Furthermore, abolition of the death
penalty is a prerequisite for membership to the Council.
Now that the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution
calling for a moratorium on the death penalty a year ago with 104
states in favour, one would think that the World Day Against the
Death Penalty would become obsolete. The present situation could not
be further from the truth. Major international players such as the
United States of America, People’s Republic of China and Islamic
Republic of Iran voted against this resolution and still apply the
death penalty.
Today, the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) and
its Members join the world movement striving for a moratorium on all
executions. Many of UNPO’s Members continue to suffer under regimes
which apply capital punishment, sometimes even for the most marginal
‘crimes’. UNPO and its Members strive for an absolute moratorium and
eventual abolition of the death penalty worldwide. Too many regimes
have invoked capital punishment as a means to silence those who
oppose them. It is due time that this last legitimate crime will be
brought to an end.
http://www.unpo.org/content/view/8765/81/
