Sergio D'Elia, General Secretary of HOC

HANDS OFF CAIN: EXECUTION IN VIRGINIA DOESN’T HALT DECREASE IN USA

November 11, 2009: regarding the execution in the United States of John Allen Muhammad, better known as the 'Washington Sniper', Hands Off Cain secretary Sergio D'Elia told ADNKRONOS: “the execution carried out today in Virginia doesn’t halt the decrease of both the death penalty and executions in the US in the last few years. Furthermore, the number of detainees on death row is down.”
“I therefore don’t see this execution as a reverse in the trend of the last five years. The decrease in executions has been constant and means now there are less than 50. The decrease in support of the American public against capital punishment has continued to rise. Americans are choosing unconditional life imprisonment over the death penalty.”
According to recent data on capital punishment, China continues to rank first with at least 5 thousand executions this year. This includes the 15-20% reduction resulting from the effect of the judicial reforms that gave the Chinese People’s Supreme Court the exclusive power to ratify death sentences.
China is followed by Iran with 342 executions this year, Saudi Arabia with 61, and the United States with 45.
The association also notes that in Iraq there were 35 executions in 2009. The number risks increasing as there are thousands on death row, and 150 of these risk being executed at short notice as they have exhausted their appeals.
The big fear is that the elections in January could cause an increase in executions. Even the President of the Iraqi Parliament, Iyad al-Samarrai, has asked for a moratorium during the electoral campaign. Al Maliki however refused the request.
Finally, D’Elia noted the decrease in death sentences in Vietnam following an important reform of the judicial system. The number of crimes that attract the death penalty was reduced from 29 to 21, crimes such as corruption, counterfeiting, and using fake banknotes. (Sources: Adnkronos, 11/11/2009)