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ITALY. SENATE VOTES TO ABOLISH LAST REFERENCE TO DEATH PENALTY IN COSTITUTION
September 25, 2007: The Italian Senate voted to abolish the last reference to capital punishment in its constitution, one that allowed for its use in cases of martial law.
The vote of 231 for, 1 against, and 4 abstentions, comes a day after Prime Minister Prodi spoke before the U.N. General Assembly in favor of a worldwide ban on capital punishment.
Though Italy bans the death penalty, as in the rest of the European Union, the constitution allowed for its possible use during wartime.
The decision "officially completes our country's abolitionist course," Amnesty Italia said in a statement. The decision also excludes any possibility of reintroducing the death penalty in Italy, Amnesty Italia said. (Sources: Bloomberg News, 27/09/2007)
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