24 July 2008 :

Romano Prodi, the ex-President of the Council of the Italian Government, was presented with “The Abolitionist of the Year 2008” Award by Hands Off Cain. The award recognises the person who, above all others, demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to the struggle for a moratorium on executions and the abolition of the death penalty. On December 18, 2007, Mr Prodi successfully lead the approval of the Resolution for the Moratorium on the Death Penalty at the United Nations’ General Assembly.
The award ceremony was attended by parliamentarians, foreign ambassadors and representatives of major Italian institutions. The Non Violent Radical Party was represented by Emma Bonino, parliamentarian and vice President of the Italian Senate, Marco Pannella, European Parliamentarian and President of Hands Off Cain, Sergio D’Elia, Secretary of Hands Off Cain, and Elisabetta Zamparutti, parliamentarian and editor of Hands Off Cain’s 2008 Report.
Mr Prodi emphasised that the UN Resolution “was a collective result, achieved due to the extraordinary tenacity of the Italian politicians.” Regarding the worldwide abolition of the death penalty, Prodi said “our commitment continues until everyone shares our beliefs.” The President of the Republic, Giorgio Napolitano, sent a message congratulating Mr Prodi, saying that the UN’s adoption of the pro-moratorium Resolution was “a moral and historic result without precedent.” “Justice does not have to equal revenge,” he added.
During the ceremony, Hands Off Cain Secretary Sergio D’Elia spoke about the pro-Moratorium campaign. "We now need to increase our efforts to make sure that the success of the moratorium is not wasted. It is important that every year the United Nations approves the Resolution on the moratorium. The real objective isn’t the abolition of the death penalty, but the fight against the state secrecy of the nations that apply the death penalty," D'Elia said. "We ask that a specific paragraph is inserted in the resolution, so that countries provide everyone with the dates of executions and the number of those sentenced to death."
"It would also be a good time to create a United Nations Special Envoy with a monitoring role, as well as a political role, to encourage and help, so that this principle of transparency is applied in every single country," D’Elia concluded.