098a(2004)
Peter Schieder calls for abolition of the death penalty in
Japan and the USA
Strasbourg, 27.02.2004 - Council of Europe Parliamentary
Assembly President Peter Schieder today launched a pressing
appeal for the abolition of the death penalty in Japan,
following the death sentence passed on Shoko Asahara, the
leader of a Japanese doomsday cult, and other members of the
cult involved in the gas attack on a Tokyo subway in 1995.
“The case for sparing Shoko Asahara’s life is neither easy
nor a popular one to make. The Council of Europe is opposed to
the death penalty in all its forms, even for the Tokyo subway
killer. But human rights apply to every one of us, without
exception,” Mr Schieder said.
“We have our share of terrorists, child-murderers and
cop-killers, but we are committed to making our society
better, fairer, less brutal and to breaking the cycle of
violence.”
He continued: “The abolition of the death penalty is one of
our Organisation’s priorities, and any new member state must
pledge to take this step. We have succeeded in making the
territory of our 45 member states, with its 800 million
inhabitants, a death-penalty-free zone. Our ambition is to
persuade Japan and the USA, who both hold observer status with
the Council of Europe, to join us.”
“Japan and the United States are leading democracies which
have been very vocal on their commitment to human rights. We
are calling on them to stand by their own standards of
civilised behaviour.”
The President concluded: “My message on the eve of
International Death Penalty Abolition Day (1 March) is a call
on states across the world to reject the use of capital
punishment. Death penalty is not justice. And as Martin Luther
King said: ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice
everywhere.’ ”
* * *
In Resolution
1253 (2001) the Parliamentary Assembly required Japan and
the United States of America to institute without delay a
moratorium on executions, take the necessary steps to abolish
the death penalty and to improve conditions on death row
immediately.
In Resolution
1349 (2003) on the abolition of the death penalty in
Council of Europe Observer states, the Assembly found Japan
and the United States once more in violation of their
fundamental obligation to respect human rights under Committee
of Ministers Statutory Resolution (93) 26, due to their
continued application of the death penalty.
In Recommendation
1627 (2003) the Assembly recommended that the Committee of
Ministers take effective measures to encourage compliance by
Japan and the United States of America with Assembly
Recommendation 1522 (2001) and Resolution 1349 (2003) on the
abolition of the death penalty in Council of Europe Observer
states and make it a minimum requirement for existing Council
of Europe Observer states wishing to have their rights under
Statutory Resolution (93) 26 extended to show their
willingness to engage in a fruitful dialogue at parliamentary
and governmental level with the Council of Europe on the
abolition of the death penalty, if they have not yet abolished
it, or put into place a moratorium on executions.
Contact:
Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly
Communication Unit
Tel. +33 3 88 41 50 26, fax +33 3 90 21
41 34, e-mail: assembly.news@coe.int
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