The German
government has urged countries around the globe to bring an end to capital
punishment. The call coincides with the thirteenth "World Day Against the
Death Penalty."
Deutsche Welle, 10 Oct 2015
German
commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid, Christoph Strässer
(SPD), said on Saturday that the punishment has no place in the 21st century.
"I
encourage all people who work against this cruel and inhuman punishment, to
continue their efforts continue," Strässer said.
"There
is a misconception that the death penalty is good to fight crime," he
commented, adding that despite a general move away from capital punishment
around the world, the number of execution cases in China, Iran, Saudia Arabia
and Iraq had recently been on the increase.
Amnesty
International estimates that in the first half of this year alone, almost 700 people were sentenced to death in Iran . According to the human rights
organization, there were executions in 22 countries last year.
German
Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier is due to visit Saudi Arabia and Iran
later in October.
No excuse
for execution
Strässer
also noted on Saturday that many cases of execution follow "questionable
verdicts" in which the confessions have been given as a result of torture.
It is
"terrifying" he said, how often such defendants are offered no legal
representation or a translator.
"These
states, which can't ensure consistent enforcement, simply accept
misjudgments," Strässer said, before rejecting any argument that the death
penalty will help in the fight against terrorism.
"Violations
of human rights in a social climate actually promote instability," he
said.
The
thirteenth "World Day Against the Death Penalty" on Saturday, aims
this year to raise awareness specifically about the application of capital
punishment for drug-related crimes.
ksb/jm (AFP, dpa)
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