UNB, Dhaka :
A group of United Nations human rights experts have reminded governments around the world that the imposition of the death penalty is an ineffective deterrent for terrorism, and most times it is also an unlawful one.
In a joint statement ahead of the World Day Against the Death Penalty that falls on October 10, the UN Special Rapporteurs Agnes Callamard (on summary executions), Juan E. Méndez (on torture), and Ben Emmerson (on human rights while countering terroris), stressed that the threat of terrorism does not justify departing from international standards for the protection of human rights.
They called on agencies and states offering financial or technical cooperation to counter terrorism to ensure that the programmes to which they contribute do not ultimately result in violations of the right to life.
“Faced with terrorist attacks or terrorist threats in their countries, some governments have recently turned to the death penalty in an attempt to curb terrorist action, by either expanding the scope of offenses punishable by death or resuming executions for terrorist-related offences after years of moratoriums in
executions,” said the statement. The United Nations General Assembly has repeatedly called on member states to progressively restrict the use of the death penalty and reduce the number of crimes susceptible to such punishment, the experts said.
“Governments resort to the death penalty in their anti-terrorism campaigns in almost all regions in the world: 65 countries retain the death penalty in law for terrorism related offenses, of which 15 have carried out such executions in the last 10 years,” added the statement.
In 2015, the death penalty was imposed for these offences in at least seven countries, with most executions taking place in the Middle East and North Africa.
Some countries made legal changes to introduce or expand the scope of the death penalty to terrorism-related offenses. Many of those offenses do not amount to ‘most serious crimes’, meaning those involving intentional killing, for which the death penalty may be imposed under international law.
Arbitrary sentencing exists in several of the small minority of countries around the world which most frequently resort to capital punishment, and many States where the death penalty is used for terrorism-related offences lack a system of fair trial, they said.
The UN experts observed that the death penalty is also an ineffective deterrent because terrorists who are executed may just gain in prestige as may their cause. “The World Day Against the Death Penalty provides an opportunity to reflect on this worrying development.”
On this day all should also reflect on the role that the international community can play in facing this worrying practice, they said.
A group of United Nations human rights experts have reminded governments around the world that the imposition of the death penalty is an ineffective deterrent for terrorism, and most times it is also an unlawful one.
In a joint statement ahead of the World Day Against the Death Penalty that falls on October 10, the UN Special Rapporteurs Agnes Callamard (on summary executions), Juan E. Méndez (on torture), and Ben Emmerson (on human rights while countering terroris), stressed that the threat of terrorism does not justify departing from international standards for the protection of human rights.
They called on agencies and states offering financial or technical cooperation to counter terrorism to ensure that the programmes to which they contribute do not ultimately result in violations of the right to life.
“Faced with terrorist attacks or terrorist threats in their countries, some governments have recently turned to the death penalty in an attempt to curb terrorist action, by either expanding the scope of offenses punishable by death or resuming executions for terrorist-related offences after years of moratoriums in
executions,” said the statement. The United Nations General Assembly has repeatedly called on member states to progressively restrict the use of the death penalty and reduce the number of crimes susceptible to such punishment, the experts said.
“Governments resort to the death penalty in their anti-terrorism campaigns in almost all regions in the world: 65 countries retain the death penalty in law for terrorism related offenses, of which 15 have carried out such executions in the last 10 years,” added the statement.
In 2015, the death penalty was imposed for these offences in at least seven countries, with most executions taking place in the Middle East and North Africa.
Some countries made legal changes to introduce or expand the scope of the death penalty to terrorism-related offenses. Many of those offenses do not amount to ‘most serious crimes’, meaning those involving intentional killing, for which the death penalty may be imposed under international law.
Arbitrary sentencing exists in several of the small minority of countries around the world which most frequently resort to capital punishment, and many States where the death penalty is used for terrorism-related offences lack a system of fair trial, they said.
The UN experts observed that the death penalty is also an ineffective deterrent because terrorists who are executed may just gain in prestige as may their cause. “The World Day Against the Death Penalty provides an opportunity to reflect on this worrying development.”
On this day all should also reflect on the role that the international community can play in facing this worrying practice, they said.
