World Day against death penalty marked today
The World Day against death penalty is marked today, on October 10. This date has been established by the World Coalition Against Death Penalty, which unites about 40 human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, as well as laywers' associations, trade unions, local and regional authorities. This year the day is celebrated for the 8th time and is dedicated to the USA where death penalty exists as capital punishment. To the opinion of human rights activists, death penalty is conscious and cold-blooded deprivation of a person's life by the State. This brutal, inhuman and humiliating punishment is used in the name of justice. It breaks the right for living, stated in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.
According to the materials provided by Amnesty International, 714 people were executed in 18 countries of the world for the year 2009. No less than 2001 people were sentenced to death in 56 countries. Thousands of executions which are highly likely to have been committed in China were not included in this statistical data as such information is considered to be the secret of the State there.
Belarus remains the only country in Europe which uses death penalty. Two people sentenced to death have been executed this year.
According to the materials provided by Amnesty International, 714 people were executed in 18 countries of the world for the year 2009. No less than 2001 people were sentenced to death in 56 countries. Thousands of executions which are highly likely to have been committed in China were not included in this statistical data as such information is considered to be the secret of the State there.
Belarus remains the only country in Europe which uses death penalty. Two people sentenced to death have been executed this year.
