Скачать или смотреть USA: NEW YORK: DEATH PENALTY REPORT PRESS CONFERENCE

(13 Oct 1999) English/Nat

The United State's continued use of the death penalty was criticised in a report released by an anti-execution pressure group on Tuesday.

The report claims the U-S continues to execute juvenile offenders, the mentally ill and foreign nationals and compares it to other countries it says violate human rights like China, Rwanda and Sudan.

Top international experts and human rights leaders met to discuss the report ahead of a United Nations vote this week on a resolution to stop the use of the death penalty.

More countries than ever before have said they will not use the death penalty to try and control crime.

But not the U-S, which continues to execute offenders in record numbers.

According to the author of a new report into the American use of the death penalty, the U-S may soon be forced to bow to international pressure.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"It is a legitimate question to ask,"well what different should all this make for the US? So what if international concern and many countries are abolishing the death penalty. If we want it why shouldn't we have it?" But the world is becoming increasingly interdependent, both economically and politically."
SUPER CAPTION: Richard C. Dieter, Executive Director, Death Penalty Information Centre

In particular, America's record of executing juvenile offenders, the mentally ill, and foreign nationals who were not informed of their rights, has been the subject of international concern.

Nobel Prize nominee Sister Helen Prejean, author of "Dead Man Walking" and one of the world's leading critics of the death penalty, claimed executing prisoners amounted to a form of torture.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"There is no way to take the torture out of the death penalty because conscious human beings condemned to death anticipate death and die a thousand times in their minds before they die."
SUPER CAPTION: Sister Helen Prejean, Author

One particular case considered in the report is that of Stanley Faulder, a Canadian who was executed in June of this year.

At no point was Faulder informed of his right to contact the Canadian consulate.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I firmly believe that this violation and the subsequent events that followed, in my uncle's case, was the critical factor that, ultimately, contributed to his conviction, sentence of death, and execution."
SUPER CAPTION: Barbara Allen, niece of Stanley Faulder

Emma Bonino, European Parliament member and opponent of the death penalty also addressed the meeting.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"One point that astonished me very much is that at least from Europe, people have the impression that the United States is just a block. That everybody is in favour of the death penalty. Nobody knows for instance, that 12, at least 12 states of the United States do not have the death penalty."
SUPER CAPTION: Emma Bonino, Member of European Parliament

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Basic human rights depend on if you're born in Michigan or if you're born in Nebraska. Which is, well, sort of a disturbing situation."
SUPER CAPTION: Emma Bonino, Member of European Parliament

The United Nations is expected to vote on a resolution to place a moratorium on the death penalty later this week.

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...