Post by sclcookie on May 29, 2006 0:52:23 GMT -5
Thousands still being executed worldwide
At least 2,148 people were executed in 2005 despite the majority of the
worlds countries having abolished the death penalty in law or in practice,
Amnesty International said Tuesday.
In its annual report on the state of the world's human rights, Amnesty
said that at least another 5,186 people were sentenced to death last year,
though "the true figures were certainly higher."
Amnesty said 122 countries have now abolished capital punishment in law or
in practice.
Some 86 of those countries have got rid of the death penalty for all
crimes.
Executioners used various means, including hanging, firing squads, lethal
injections and beheading.
Among those put to death were children and people with mental
disabilities, Amnesty said.
94 % of executions took place in China, Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United
States.
Drug smuggling, embezzlement and fraud were some of the crimes for which
capital punishment was imposed, Amnesty said.
Mexico and Liberia abolished the death penalty for all crimes in 2005,
Liberia being the last to do so in September.
Amnesty raised its particular concern over the inherent risk of executing
innocent people.
In 2005 both China and the United States released people who were awaiting
execution on death row but had been wrongly convicted.
China also acknowledged that innocent people had been executed, while
people were put to death in Iran, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan reportedly
without being given the benefit of due process of law, Amnesty said.
"Discrimination based on a wide range of characteristics such as
ethnicity, religion and poverty manifested itself at every stage of the
death penalty process," the group said in its report.
In some countries, people were not even told they were going to be
executed until a few hours before their death, with Japan cited.
And in Iran, at 8 eight people were executed for crimes committed when
they were less than 18 years old, with at least 2 children under the age
of 18 when they were hanged, Amnesty said.
The organization said progress had been made towards abolishing the
punishment at the United Nations level.
UN resolution 2005/59 affirmed the right to life and said that abolition
was "essential for the protection of this right," Amnesty said.
The resolution "came the closest yet to condemning the death penalty as a
violation of human rights."
Amnesty said the abolition campaign also gained strength in 2005 through
the third World Day Against the Death Penalty on October 10, marked in 50
countries with demonstrations, petitions and concerts.
(source: Opinion, The Manila Times)
At least 2,148 people were executed in 2005 despite the majority of the
worlds countries having abolished the death penalty in law or in practice,
Amnesty International said Tuesday.
In its annual report on the state of the world's human rights, Amnesty
said that at least another 5,186 people were sentenced to death last year,
though "the true figures were certainly higher."
Amnesty said 122 countries have now abolished capital punishment in law or
in practice.
Some 86 of those countries have got rid of the death penalty for all
crimes.
Executioners used various means, including hanging, firing squads, lethal
injections and beheading.
Among those put to death were children and people with mental
disabilities, Amnesty said.
94 % of executions took place in China, Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United
States.
Drug smuggling, embezzlement and fraud were some of the crimes for which
capital punishment was imposed, Amnesty said.
Mexico and Liberia abolished the death penalty for all crimes in 2005,
Liberia being the last to do so in September.
Amnesty raised its particular concern over the inherent risk of executing
innocent people.
In 2005 both China and the United States released people who were awaiting
execution on death row but had been wrongly convicted.
China also acknowledged that innocent people had been executed, while
people were put to death in Iran, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan reportedly
without being given the benefit of due process of law, Amnesty said.
"Discrimination based on a wide range of characteristics such as
ethnicity, religion and poverty manifested itself at every stage of the
death penalty process," the group said in its report.
In some countries, people were not even told they were going to be
executed until a few hours before their death, with Japan cited.
And in Iran, at 8 eight people were executed for crimes committed when
they were less than 18 years old, with at least 2 children under the age
of 18 when they were hanged, Amnesty said.
The organization said progress had been made towards abolishing the
punishment at the United Nations level.
UN resolution 2005/59 affirmed the right to life and said that abolition
was "essential for the protection of this right," Amnesty said.
The resolution "came the closest yet to condemning the death penalty as a
violation of human rights."
Amnesty said the abolition campaign also gained strength in 2005 through
the third World Day Against the Death Penalty on October 10, marked in 50
countries with demonstrations, petitions and concerts.
(source: Opinion, The Manila Times)