ABSTRACT: Letter to the Governor of Virginia asking for the suspension of the execution of Roger Coleman and a re-examination of his case.

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Rome 15 May '92

For the attention of

His Excellency Douglas Wilder

Governor of the State of Virginia

United States of America

Fax: 001-804-7863985

Excellency,

We are writing to you on behalf of the Committee in charge of promoting the parliamentary campaign for the abolition of the death penalty throughout the world, which has been endorsed by over six hundred parliamentarians, government officials and hundreds of preeminent international personalities in the fields of culture, science and art. Herewith enclosed is a memo with the list of the most important of such adhesions.

We are hereby asking you to intervene to suspend the execution of Roger Coleman, as you did in the past for Herbert Bassette, in January '92.

We ask you to carefully reexamine his case, in order to dispel any doubts on the convict's true responsibilities, in consideration of the absence of an adequate defence during the trial, and also because his appeal was rejected as a consequence of the fact that his lawyers presented it with a day's delay.

We would also like to convey, Mr Governor, the meaning of our political position, which is the position of democrats, militants of the rule of law and of nonviolence, for whom each human being's right not to be killed should prevail on the State, on its supreme demands of security and justice, in any circumstance they are represented. All the more so in the case of heinous crimes, which a State cannot respond to with equally cruel practices.

We hope, Mr Governor, that you will accept our appeal for Roger Coleman and the suspension of legal executions in your State. As far as we are concerned, we pledge to Inform the parliamentarians and personalities of our movement of the outcome of your decision.

Yours faithfully,

Sergio Stanzani Emma Bonino Paolo Vigevano

MP, First Secretary MP, President of Treasurer of Radical Party the Radical Party the Radical Party

Marco Pannella Sergio D'Elia

Member of the European Federal Councillor

Parliament, President of the of the Radical Party

Radical Party's Federal

Council

Tel. 39-6-689791 - Fax 39-6-6545396