Croatia's former Minister for Foreign Affairs

(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)

"On the one hand, we have not imposed the death penalty since 1990; and on the other hand, human rights are gravely violated daily within a more limited context, and we ask ourselves how these offenders should be punished. Notwithstanding what is happening in Sarajevo, the death penalty doesn't solve anything."

Nikolaj Arzannikov

People's Deputy of Russia.

Vice-chairman of the Committee of the Supreme Soviet of Russia on Human Rights.

"The work carried out by the Radical Party and the International League, and the principles they both uphold, are proving to be of great use to everyone: the transnational and transdivisional aspects of the campaign are fundamental. It is, in fact, impossible to solve any problem merely at a national level. We are here to convince everyone that abolishing the death penalty is neither a fantasy nor an impossible dream, but a gpal that can be realized in this day and age."

Igor Berzukov

People's Deputy of Russia. Vice-chairman of the Committee of the Supreme Soviet of Russia on Legislation.

"We are attending this Conference to make it clear to everyone that, in spite of the dramatic situation Russian society finds itself in, above all as regards crime, we have nevertheless chosen to reduce the number of death sentences. Our Committee is responsible for everying concerning penitentiary legislation, including the death penalty. We aim to commute the death penalty into life imprisonment, but without depriving the prisoner of the hope that something in his life might change."