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Tuesday, 20 March 2012 02:30
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By caribarena news
Antigua St John's - Amnesty International has issued a public statement regarding Antigua & Barbuda's reluctance to abolish the death penalty.
This came after this week's adoption of the Universal Periodic Review of Antigua & Barbuda by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
The following is a statement sharing the recommendations made by the organisation to the Government of Antigua and Barbuda.
Antigua and Barbuda: Amnesty International welcomes the commitment to condemn human rights violations against persons because of their sexual orientation, but regrets the rejection of recommendations to abolish the death penalty.
Human Rights Council adopts Universal Periodic Review outcome on Antigua and Barbuda
Amnesty International welcomes that there have been no executions in Antigua and Barbuda in the last 11 years, and further welcomes the government’s commitment to rigorously apply international standards for fair trial in all death penalty cases.
However, Amnesty International is disappointed that Antigua and Barbuda rejected recommendations from six States to abolish the death penalty.
Amnesty International rejects the government’s justification that it does not have a political mandate to abolish the death penalty.
The organization believes that public opinion on capital punishment is overwhelmingly based on a desire to be protected from violence and to be free from fear of crime.
A more effective strategy to address public safety would involve improving the capacity of the police to detect and solve crimes, enhancing the criminal justice system, and tackling the root causes of crime and violence more effectively.
Amnesty International recalls that the death penalty violates the right to life as recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and urges Antigua and Barbuda to impose a formal moratorium on the use of the death penalty with a view to abolishing it; to commute all death sentences to terms of imprisonment; to ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR; and to vote in support of the next General Assembly resolution on a moratorium on the use of the death penalty.
Amnesty International welcomes Antigua and Barbuda’s commitment to condemn human rights violations against persons because of their sexual orientation and to institute policies and initiatives to address discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
However, the organization emphasizes that the removal of discriminatory laws is a first step in fighting the stigma surrounding homosexuality, and regrets the government’s rejection of recommendations to decriminalize sexual relations between consenting adults of the same sex.
Amnesty International welcomes Antigua and Barbuda’s support of recommendations to sign and ratify international human rights conventions including the International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
11 Comments In This Article
RE: Amnesty Displeased with Death Penalty Stance
POV
RE: Amnesty Displeased with Death Penalty Stance
Nameless
RE: Amnesty Displeased with Death Penalty Stance
Independent
RE: Amnesty Displeased with Death Penalty Stance
ANTIGUAN WOMAN
RE: Amnesty Displeased with Death Penalty Stance
BUSS
RE: Amnesty Displeased with Death Penalty Stance
It is strange that you condemn sovereign states such as Antigua & Barbuda on its policies in regards to Sexual Orientation/Hom osexuality and the Death Penalty.
When in fact, you have not up to this date condemned other major sovereign states such as the US and England for the unjustifiable death of one Saddam Husein. I will not go into the matters of the case for which you was very much tranche in behind the scenes.
Secondly, the mighty and hypocritical US who have many states inclusive of Texas not too long ago, condemned and distributed death to a few of their prisoners; men and women alike and yet not a word was stated by you.
The next time you make statements about how sovereign states such as Antigua\Barbuda deals with Sexual orientation and Death Penalties these states will have no other choice but to give these individuals free passages to countries that you are Headquarters in or aligned with.
Have a nice day and please to put the Bible, the Torah, or even the Quran as the centre of your policies and not that book that has the emblem the Sigil of Baphomet.
Pied Piper
RE: Amnesty Displeased with Death Penalty Stance
wadadlineko
'Universal' Declaration of Human Rights
dadlison
Let Amnesty Deal with Texas first
Judge Dredd
Give me a break!!!
Citizen
go to america and tell them
MAINE
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