Goal Ambitious and Clear: Abolishing Death Penalty all Over World
The article by France Ambassador to Belarus Michel Raineri on the occasion of the World Day Against the Death Penalty.
10.10.2012 / 11:26
The issue of capital punishment has been discussed more frequently all over the world.
Today 2/3 countries — 141, if be more precise — don’t use this type of penalty.
97 countries have completely abolished the capital punishment, in eight states it is outlawed for ordinary crimes and in 36 states there is a de facto ban on the capital punishment.
The number of countries which leave the capital punishment in their past is increasing.
In early 2012, Mongolia and Benin ratified the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights aimed to abolish the death penalty.
Two USA’s states joined the abolitionism movement: Illinois in March and Connecticut in April (Connecticut became the 17th state where the death penalty is no longer used!).
However, 23 countries executed persons since 2011.
The advocates and opponents of the death penalty have been discussing pros and cons for decades.
I see no use in repeating things mentioned for thousands of times. Personally for me, it is the matter of conscience: when justice uses the same methods the criminals use, this can’t glorify the humankind.
Seeing the life through the eyes of a Christian who believes the life to be God’s major gift, no one and under no circumstances may take the life away.
I repeat: no one and never.
The modern history shows us that the capital punishment existing in a country does not anyhow change the mind of villains to perform most terrifying and abominable crimes. The Belarusians have learnt this perfectly.
The Americans will also never forget 9/11.
Last year, a terrorist attack in Morocco — where the death penalty is being still used — took the lives of eight French citizens. However, the families of the victims asked the government not to use the capital punishment.
This year, France decided to launch a large-scale information campaign against the death penalty.
It will be an active player of international forums, including those under the aegis of the UN, and also within the framework of the 5th World Congress against the Death Penalty which is to take place in Madrid in June, 2013.
Using each possibility, consulting our European partners, France will conduct the activities to attract the attention of population and politicians to the issue of the death penalty.
The goal is ambitious and clear: to abolish the death penalty all over the world
French Ambassador: Goal Ambitious and Clear: Abolishing Death Penalty all Over World