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STORY: GENEVA / DEATH PENALTY
TRT: 2.01
SOURCE: CH UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 5 APRIL 2013, UNITED NATIONS GENEVA HEADQUARTERS
FILE – RECENT, UNITED NATIONS GENEVA HEADQUARTERS
1. Wide shot, UN Flag
5 APRIL 2013, UNITED NATIONS GENEVA HEADQUARTERS
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rupert Colville, Spokesperson, OHCHR:
“We are deeply concerned that a number of countries in the Middle East and Asia have recently started reapplying the death penalty after several years of moratorium, and despite the overwhelming global trend towards abolishing the death penalty. Earlier this week, three men were executed in Kuwait – the first time since May 2007 that Kuwait has carried out death sentences. Over 40 detainees remain on death row in Kuwait, and we urge the Government to commute all those remaining death sentences. Other countries in the Middle East region which regularly carry out the death penalty are Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Iraq, and we are particularly concerned at the continued high rate of implementation of the death penalty in Iraq, where four more executions were reported to have been carried out on 1st April, taking the total number known to have been executed there this year to at least 12 (with some reports suggesting a higher number), with hundreds more people on death row there. The number of people executed in Iraq in 2012 totaled 123, including 5 females. This was a massive increase over previous years, and deeply worrying in a country where there are persisting serious concerns about compliance with fair trial standards. In Asia, the death penalty has also recently been carried out for the first time in several years in both India and Indonesia, while Japan resumed executions in 2012. An unknown number of people are executed every year in China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Iran. Five executions have also taken place so far this year in the United States.”
3. Wide shot, Press Conference Room
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) today (5 March) expressed concern over the reinstatement of the death penalty in a number of countries in the Middle East and Asia. Thid included the execution of three men in Kuwait earlier this week, and 12 executions in Iraq, since 1 April.
OHCHR spokesman Rupert Colville told journalists that the death penalty was also carried out regularly in Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
He noted that the death penalty had been carried out for the first time in many years in India and Indonesia, while Japan resumed executions last year.
Colville said an unknown number of people are executed every year in China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and Iran.
He also pointed to 5 executions this year in the United States.
He said the situation in Iraq was particularly worrying because of persisting concerns about fair trial standards in the country.
The human tights spokesman said that in many of these cases, the death penalty involves clear violations of international norms and standards, including the failure to ensure that consular services are provided to foreign nationals.
OHCHR appealed to all Governments concerned to establish an official moratorium on all executions with the aim of abolishing the death penalty.
