AACP update – November 9th
We’ve added a new page to the site – which links to videos from each of the party representatives who spoke at our political forum earlier this year: http://aacp.wordpress.com/what-our-politicians-are-saying-about-the-death-penalty/
Recent Events
A group of us from Australians Against Capital Punishment participated in the Human Rights Torch Relay event in Brisbane, to call attention to the ongoing human rights abuses in China – including the death penalty - as well as the many ongoing abuses around the world.
Lee and Christine Rush were featured speakers at the Youth Excel dinner on November 8th.
Indonesia: Corruption and death penalty a risky mix, say experts
Indonesian human rights activists have joined the chorus of those condemning a ruling by the country’s Constitutional Court, in favour of the death penalty for serious crimes.
Usman Hamid, executive director of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), also warned that capital punishment is particularly risky in Indonesia, where the courts are ridden with corruption and, at times, politicking takes precedence over thorough investigations.
Kontras, one of the country’s leading rights groups, has spearheaded the campaign to have a moratorium on executions in Indonesia.
Death penalty foes try new bid for UN resolution
Diplomats say more than 70 countries opposed to the death penalty have launched a fresh bid to have the UN General Assembly pass a resolution urging an end to the practice.
Two previous similar attempts failed, due partly to opposition from the US, where many states still perform executions. This time, the text stops short of an outright demand for immediate abolition.
Instead, a draft presented to the assembly’s human rights committee calls on countries that put criminals to death to “establish a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty.”
