News and Developments 2005: International

European Parliament President Calls for End to Capital Punishment

Posted: December 13, 2005
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During a recent meeting of the European Union's full assembly, European Parliament president Josep Borrell called on the 76 countries around the world that continue to retain the death penalty to discontinue use of capital punishment. He noted that the United States is the only democratic state that makes "widespread use" of the death penalty and that the European Union has a duty to convince Americans to end the practice.

"Most unfortunately, in the U.S. the 1000th execution was carried out. The fact that it almost coincided with Human Rights Day makes this fact particularly poignant," Borrell told the assembly. "But there is a glimmer of hope. U.S. society is changing its views on the death penalty." Borrell then added, "For us in Europe, the right to life is an inalienable right. No one ever loses their right to life, no matter what they have done."

INTERNATIONAL: World Day Against the Death Penalty

Posted: October 10, 2005
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October 10th was World Day Against the Death Penalty, an occassion that Amnesty International used to urge abolition of the death penalty in all African states. Amnesty officials noted that recent developments show a trend toward death penalty abolition among African countries, and they stated that the majority of the continent's nations have abandoned using capital punishment. Senegal abolished the death penalty for all crimes in December 2004 and Liberia in September 2005. In March 2005, Kenyan officials announced that they are committed to ending the death penalty and are taking steps to commute all death sentences to life in prison without parole. Benin and Morocco have halted executions, and the Ugandan Constitutional Court recently ended the death penalty for certain crimes. In all, 13 of Africa's 53 states have permanently abolished the death penalty and another 20 countries no longer carry out executions. During World Day events hosted by Amnesty International around the globe, people signed a petition against capital punishment that will be presented to heads of state in Africa.

The World Day Against the Death Penalty is organized by the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, a group of 38 human rights organizations, local and regional authorities, bar associations, and trade unions.

INTERNATIONAL RESOURCE: "Amicus Journal" Highlights Death Penalty Developments

Posted: September 23, 2005
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The Amicus Journal discusses death penalty issues from around the world.  The latest edition contains articles on the "teamwork" approach used by capital defense attorneys in Virginia, Africa's progress in abandoning the death penalty, and a feature on the experience of being a lawyer on the front lines of capital litigation in the U.S. The publication also examines the recent U.S. Supreme Court cases of Medellin  v. Dretke and Miller-El v. Dretke.  (13 Amicus Journal (2005), published in London by the Andrew Lee Jones Fund). See Resources. 

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NEW RESOURCE: Foreign Nationals on U.S. Death Rows

Posted: September 21, 2005
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The latest edition of the Consular Rights in America newsletter is now available.  The newsletter discusses legal and political developments concerning citizens of other countries who are in prison or on death row in the U.S.  Issue 29 contains excerpts from the Texas Lawyer of recent arguments before the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in the case of Jose Medellin, a Mexican citizen on death row in Texas.  This case has already been the subject of arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court, the International Court of Justice, and of a presidential decision.  The newsletter also discusses the decision of the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals regarding Osbaldo Torres, a former death row inmate also from Mexico.  The newsletter is published by Mark Warren of Human Rights Research. 

INNOCENCE: It Happens in China, Too

Posted: September 21, 2005
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Qin Yanhong was convicted of rape and murder in China in 1999.  A panel of judges sentenced him to death.  His conviction was the result of a confession that followed days of torture and interrorgation by police, despite the fact that such tactics are forbidden under Chinese law.  The senior detective on the case expressed absolute confidence in the conviction and even offered to accept the punishment if it was proven wrong.  In 2001, another man walked into a nearby police station and confessed to a spate of killings and described the murder that Mr. Qin had been accused of in perfect detail.  Even then, officials tried to cover up the new revelations and keep Mr. Qin on death row until a reporter heard about the confession by the serial killer.  Qin was finally freed in 2002.  In 2005 alone, there have been about 12 similar reversals of convictions, including a number for murder. 

Taiwan President Promises to Abolish the Death Penalty

Posted: September 13, 2005
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Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian has vowed to abolish the death penalty so that his country can become a nation founded on the basis of human rights. In making his announcement, Chen noted, "Abolishing the death penalty has become a world trend. Almost every year there is one country abolishing the death penalty. . . . Since I became president in 2000, Taiwan launched the campaign to abolish the death penalty by reducing the handing down and execution of capital punishment, and by making it harder for inmates to receive parole and forcing them to pay more compensation to victims." The number of executions carried out in Taiwan has declined from 32 in 1998 to 17 in 2000 to one so far this year.