P R E S S R E L E A S E
from
C I T I Z E N S U N I T E D FOR A L T E R N A T I V E S
TO THE DEATH PENALTY (CUADP)
27 February 2004
CONTACT: Abe Bonowitz: 561-371-5204
Press Release from Council of Europe
Peter Schieder calls for abolition of the death penalty in Japan and the USA
Strasbourg, 27.02.2004 - Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly President Peter Schieder today launched a pressing appeal for the abolition of the death penalty in Japan, following the death sentence passed on Shoko Asahara, the leader of a Japanese doomsday cult, and other members of the cult involved in the gas attack on a Tokyo subway in 1995.
“The case for sparing Shoko Asahara’s life is neither easy nor a popular one to make. The Council of Europe is opposed to the death penalty in all its forms, even for the Tokyo subway killer. But human rights apply to every one of us, without exception,” Mr Schieder said.
“We have our share of terrorists, child-murderers and cop-killers, but we are committed to making our society better, fairer, less brutal and to breaking the cycle of violence.”
He continued: “The abolition of the death penalty is one of our Organisation’s priorities, and any new member state must pledge to take this step. We have succeeded in making the territory of our 45 member states, with its 800 million inhabitants, a death-penalty-free zone. Our ambition is to persuade Japan and the USA, who both hold observer status with the Council of Europe, to join us.”
“Japan and the United States are leading democracies which have been very vocal on their commitment to human rights. We are calling on them to stand by their own standards of civilised behaviour.”
The President concluded: “My message on the eve of International Death Penalty Abolition Day (1 March) is a call on states across the world to reject the use of capital punishment. Death penalty is not justice. And as Martin Luther King said: ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’ ”
* * *
In Resolution 1253 (2001) the Parliamentary Assembly required Japan and the United States of America to institute without delay a moratorium on executions, take the necessary steps to abolish the death penalty and to improve conditions on death row immediately.
In Resolution 1349 (2003) on the abolition of the death penalty in Council of Europe Observer states, the Assembly found Japan and the United States once more in violation of their fundamental obligation to respect human rights under Committee of Ministers Statutory Resolution (93) 26, due to their continued application of the death penalty.
In Recommendation 1627 (2003) the Assembly recommended that the Committee of Ministers take effective measures to encourage compliance by Japan and the United States of America with Assembly Recommendation 1522 (2001) and Resolution 1349 (2003) on the abolition of the death penalty in Council of Europe Observer states and make it a minimum requirement for existing Council of Europe Observer states wishing to have their rights under Statutory Resolution (93) 26 extended to show their willingness to engage in a fruitful dialogue at parliamentary and governmental level with the Council of Europe on the abolition of the death penalty, if they have not yet abolished it, or put into place a moratorium on executions.
Contact:
Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Communication Unit
Tel. +33 3 88 41 50 26, fax +33 3 90 21 41 34, e-mail: assembly.news@coe.int
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SENT BY:
Abraham J. Bonowitz
Director, CUADP
<abe@cuadp.org>
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YES FRIENDS!
There is an Alternative to the Death Penalty
Citizens United for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
(CUADP) works to end the death penalty in the United
States through aggressive campaigns of public education
and the promotion of tactical grassroots activism.
Visit <http://www.cuadp.org> or call 800-973-6548
PMB 335, 2603 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Hwy
Gainesville, FL 32609
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