Sergio D'Elia, General Secretary of HOC

CUBA. D'ELIA, COMMUTATION OF DEATH SENTENCES AN IMPORTANT HUMANITARIAN ACT

April 29, 2008: "We are happy that President Raul Castro has commuted almost all death sentences in Cuba," Sergio D'Elia, Hands Off Cain Secretary, said.
D'Elia explained that "the decision is an important humanitarian act because jail conditions in Cuba are among the worst in the world. It also removes the stigma of the death sentence that the approximately 50 people on death row faced”.
D'Elia concluded that "the humanitarian act certainly doesn’t necesseraly means the immediate abolition of the death penalty, nor a radical change to the state of democracy in Cuba. However, it is a signal in favour of the United Nations Resolution on the universal moratorium on the death penalty." (Sources: HOC, 29/04/2008)