From: S.DElia@agora.stm.it

To: transago@agora.stm.it

Subject: DEATH PENALTY

X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0 -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas

X-Comment: The Transnational Radical Party List

HANDS OFF CAIN (2) APPEAL TO THE UNITED NATIONS

(WORLDWIDE PARLIAMENTARY CAMPAIGN FOR THE ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY BY

THE YEAR 200 - Radical party/International League for the abolition of the

death penalty by the year 2000)

WE, THE UNSERSIGNED

Believe that the right of every individual not to be killed as an effect of

a sentence or judicial measure - even if this is issued in respect of the

law - should be upheld as the new, fundamental right of the individual, as

a part of every legal system.

We urge the United Nations to take immediate steps, also by developing

texts and programmes and promoting them internationally, so that this new

achievement in the field of the Law may consolidate itself in every part of

the world, on the eve of the new millenium.

We ask that the countries that carry out executions of minors, pregnant

women, mentally handicapped and old people, be immediately required to

accept or respect the exceptions provided for in these cases by the

international conventions, on the subject of which there is by now a

consolidated international praxis.

We urge the Security Council to intervene in cases of coups d'e'tat,

imposing a moratorium of the executions for a period of one year, asking

for the most complete trial guarantees for the defendants, and requesting

the respect of same, failing which

such countries will be denied international acknowledgment and will face

sanctions.

We request a three-year moratorium of the executions to be imposed on

countries that maintain the death penalty, to enable the necessary

political time for the enactment of a new individual law.

We ask that, with regard to the proposals for an International Court to

judge on certain issues or categories of individuals, the death penalty

should be excluded in every instance.

Hundreds of celebrities from the world of culture, parliamentarians and men

of government have signed, including:

Albania: Gaqo Apostoli, MP, promoter of the International League for the

abolition of the death penalty. Angola: Antonio Alberto Neto, Leader of

the Democratic Party. Bolivia: Benjamin Miguel Harb, Vice-chairman of the

Committee on crime prevention. Bosnia: Miro Lazovic, President of

Parliament. Bulgaria: Kadir Kadir, Vice-president of Parliament; Sonia

Mladenova e Georgi Petrov, MP, promoters of the International League for

the Abolition of the Death Penalty. Burkina Faso: Salfo Theodore

Ouadraogo, First Vice-president of Parliament, Ivory Coast: Laurent

Gbagbo, MP, Secretary General of the People's Front; Essy Amara, Minister

of Foreign Affairs; Molle' Molle', MP, founder of the International

League for the Abolition of the Death Penalty. Croatia: Stipe Mesic,

President of Parliament; Josip Manolic, President of the County Chamber.

France: Edgar Morin, philosopher; Alain Finkielkraut, writer; Olivier

Mongin, editor of "Esprit"; Pierre Marie Boucher, Secretary of the

Movement of the Leftist Radicals; Kazakhstan: Ermuhamet Ertysbaev,

Vice-chairman of Committee on human rights. Kosovo: Mirie Rushani, Deputy

leader of the Liberal Party. Ireland; Mairead Corrigan Maguire, Nobel

Peace Prizewinner. Italy: Alfredo Biondi, Vice-president of Parliament;

Maria Pia Garavaglia, Minister of Health; Antonio Maccanico,

Undersecretary of the Presidency of the Council; Gino Giugni, Minister of

Public Works; Ugo Gregoretti, film director. Lithuania: Mindaugas

Stakvilevicius, MP, Chairman of the Committee on human rights; Lionginas

Shepetis, member of the Scientific Academy and former Minister of Culture.

Moldavia: Alekou Renitse, MP, Vice-chairman of the Committee on ecology.

Poland: Mikolaj Kozakiewicz, MP, promoter of the International League for

the Abolition of the Death Penalty. Russia: Mikhail Zolotuhin, MP.

Spain: Fernando Savater, writer. United States: Franco Modigliani, Nobel

Economy Prizewinner; Ramsey Clark, former Minister of Justice; Hans

Janitschek, former Secretary of the Socialist International; Lawrence

Ferlinghetti, poet; William Kunstler, attorney at law; Henry

Schwartzchild, director emeritus ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union).

South Africa: Cyril Pillay, MP, promoter of the International League for

the Abolition of the Death Penalty. Hungary: Franois Fejt, writer.

More than 50,000 people from 67 countries have signed:

Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Byelorussia, Bolivia,

Bosnia and Hercegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada,

Chile, Columbia, Ivory Coast, Croatia, Denmark, Equador, Egypt, Estonia,

Ex-Yugoslavia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece,

Guatemala, Inghilterra England, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Ireland, Israel,

Italy, Latvia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Mexico, Moldavia,

Nigeria, Norway, Holland, Pakistan, European Parliament, Poland, Portugal,

Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Slovenia,

Spain, United States, Sweden, Switzerland, South Africa, Ukraine, Hungary,

Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vojvodina, Zaire.

------------------------------

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, states:

"Each individual has a right to life, to liberty and to personal safety."

Sixth Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights

Article 1 of the Sixth Protocol to the European Convention of Human Rights

of 1983, declares: "The death penalty must be abolished. No one must be

condemned to death, or executed."

This is the first international treaty (which is legally binding, even if

confined to a specific geographical area) to provide for the abolition of

the death penalty in peacetime.

The Sixth Protocol came into force in 1985. So far, it has been signed by

20 countries, 18 of which have also ratififed the treaty.