SERGIO D'ELIA, SECRETARY OF HANDS OFF CAIN DECLARES: "THIS RESULT WILL BE AN IMPORTANT INSTRUMENT FOR THOUSANDS DEATH ROW INMATES"

Geneva, 3rd April 1998

The United Nations approved, this afternoon, the resolution presented by Italy and cosponsored by 63 countries, 18 more than last year resolution. The voting of the 53 Member States of the Commission on Human Rights was 26 in favour, 13 .against, 12 abstentions. The resolution asks Member States to "establish a moratorium on executions, with a view to completely abolishing the death penalty".

After one year, Italy once again leaded the abolitionist countries to another international success against the death penalty, increasing the number of countries that support the abolition of capital punishment. The 1997 Hands off Cain Report shows that the retentionist countries are 81; the totally abolitionist countries are 58; the abolitionist countries for ordinary crimes are 15; the de facto abolitionist countries are 25, and 7 countries like Russia and Ukraine have committed themselves with the Council of Europe to abolish capital punishment for accession.

Sergio D'Elia, Secretary of Hands off Cain, the international association that from Italy has promoted the campaign for the moratorium, said: "The vote expressed today by the UN Commission on Human Rights is an important result after a long diplomacy work at an international level. The exceptional high number of countries that supported the resolution, and the vote in favour expressed by countries of all continents, shows that the abolition of the death penalty is no longer a simple abolitionist claim nor the prerogative of developed countries but the prevailing opinion and a necessity of the International Community to isolates the retentionist countries. The UN Commission on Human Rights established that a moratorium on executions is the first step toward the abolition of the death penalty. The principles have been established and it is now necessary to extend and strengthen them in the retentionist countries. The resolution is also an useful instrument for thousand of death row inmates who running the ri

sk of being executed can now appeal to this resolution for not being killed."

Votes in favour: Argentina, Austria, Belarussia, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, Congo, Czech Republic, Denmark, Equador, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Nepal, Perù, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Venezuela.,

Votes against: Bangladesh, Buthan, Botswana, China, Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, South Korea, Rwanda, Sudan, United States of America

Abstentions: Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guinea, India, Madagascar, Marocco, Philippines, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Morocco