[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Oct. 13



GLOBAL:

UN: 170 Countries Abandoned the Death Penalty



The countries that abolished the death penalty have reached 170. 87% of the 
death sentences are carried out in 4 countries. They are Iraq, Iran, Pakistan 
and Saudi Arabia. These figures were released on Tuesday by the United Nations 
on the World Day against the Death Penalty - Oct. 10.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres says there is "no room for the death 
penalty in the 21st century", quoted by news.bg. Some of the 170 countries have 
abolished it or ceased to practice it last month. 2 African States. Gambia and 
Madagascar - have taken important steps to end the death penalty, - said the UN 
chief.

In 2016, the number of convicted persons decreased by 37% compared to the 
previous year.

The UN also believes that there are a large number of executions in China, but 
there is "no accurate data" on this issue.

It should not be forgotten that several states in the United States still have 
the heaviest punishment.

(source: novinite.com)






********************

Pope Francis: The death penalty is contrary to the Gospel



Pope Francis declared Wednesday that the death penalty is "contrary to the 
Gospel." He said that "however grave the crime that may be committed, the death 
penalty is inadmissible because it attacks the inviolability and the dignity of 
the person."

He did so in a major talk on Oct. 11 to an audience of cardinals, bishops, 
priests, nuns, catechists, and ambassadors from many countries on the 25th 
anniversary of the promulgation of the catechism, affirming that there has been 
a development of doctrine in the church and a change in the consciousness of 
the Christian people on the question of the death penalty. The pope's comments 
and the timing of them suggest that a revision of the Catechism of the Catholic 
Church may be forthcoming to reflect this new development in the church's 
understanding.

"One has to strongly affirm that condemnation to the death penalty is an 
inhuman measure that humiliates personal dignity, in whatever form it is 
carried out. And [it] is, of itself, contrary to the Gospel, because it is 
freely decided to suppress a human life that is always sacred in the eyes of 
the Creator, and of which, in the final analysis, God alone is the true judge 
and guarantor," Pope Francis said.

"One has to strongly affirm that condemnation to the death penalty is an 
inhuman measure that humiliates personal dignity, in whatever form it is 
carried out."

Reiterating an observation in his Letter to the President of the International 
Commission against the Death Penalty, March 20, 2015, Francis said that "No man 
ever, not even the murderer, loses his personal dignity, because God is a 
Father who always awaits the return of the son who, knowing that he has done 
wrong, asks pardon and begins a new life." For this reason, he said, "life 
cannot be taken away from anyone" and there must always be "the possibility of 
a moral and existential redemption that will be to the favor of the community."

His statement is sure to be welcomed by bishops' conferences and the 
overwhelming majority of the Christian faithful around the world, many of whom 
have long called for the church to take this stance. His predecessors have been 
slowly moving towards the position taken today by Francis. Every pope since St. 
John XXIII has appealed to governments worldwide on behalf of persons condemned 
to death, asking for clemency.

When St. John Paul II published the catechism in 1992 it still admitted the use 
of the death penalty (No. 2266). But strong reaction from bishops and the 
faithful in many countries led him to revise the text in 1997, with the help of 
then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. The revised text (No. 2267), however, still did 
not exclude the death penalty on moral grounds as Pope Francis did today; it 
said that given the possibilities the modern state has of rendering the 
criminal incapable of doing harm again, then "the cases in which the execution 
of the offender is an absolute necessity 'are very rare, if not practically 
non-existent.'"

When St. John Paul II published the catechism in 1992 it still admitted the use 
of the death penalty.

Several times since becoming pope, Francis has made clear his total opposition 
to the death penalty, including in his speech to the U.S. Congress and to the 
United Nations in September 2015. But today he took a much greater step than 
any of his predecessors by declaring publicly on a solemn occasion, directly 
related to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, that the death penalty is 
"contrary to the Gospel" and "inadmissible," making clear that the catechism 
must address the question in this more complete way.

The Jesuit pope began his talk by recalling that at the opening of the Second 
Vatican Council on Oct. 11, 1962, John XXIII said, "It is necessary first of 
all that the church should never depart from the sacred patrimony of truth 
received from the Fathers. But at the same time, she must ever look to the 
present, to the new conditions and new forms of life introduced into the modern 
world which have opened up new avenues to the Catholic apostolate." Moreover, 
Pope John added, "our duty is not only to guard this treasure, as if we were 
concerned only with antiquity, but to dedicate ourselves with an earnest will 
and without fear to that work which our era demands of us, pursuing thus the 
path which the church has followed for 20 centuries."

Drawing on this, Francis said the church's "task and mission" is "to announce 
in a new and more complete way the everlasting Gospel to our contemporaries" 
with "the joy that comes from Christian hope, fortified by the medicine of 
mercy."

He recalled, too, that John Paul II, in his presentation of the catechism 25 
years ago, said "it should take into account the doctrinal statements which 
down the centuries the Holy Spirit has intimated to his Church" and "it should 
also help to illumine with the light of faith the new situations and problems 
which had not yet emerged in the past."

He described the catechism as "an important instrument" for presenting and 
helping the faithful understand better the faith and for coming close to our 
contemporaries by presenting the faith as "a significant response for human 
existence in this particular historical moment."

In a highly significant statement, Pope Francis emphasized that "it's not 
sufficient to find a new language to announce the faith of always; it is 
necessary and urgent that, faced with the new challenges and new horizons that 
are opening for humanity, the church can express the new things of the Gospel 
of Christ that, while enclosed in the Word of God, have not yet come to light."

He sought to contextualize the Catechism in the life of the church by 
explaining that "to know God" is not first and foremost "a theoretical exercise 
of human reasoning but an unquenchable desire impressed in the heart of every 
person. It's the knowledge that comes from love, because we have met the Son of 
God on our path. The catechism is to be seen in this light of love, as an 
experience of knowledge, trust and abandonment to the mystery."

The "should find a more adequate and coherent space in the Catechism of the 
Catholic Church."

In this context, he turned to the question of the death penalty, which he said, 
"should find a more adequate and coherent space in the Catechism of the 
Catholic Church."

Speaking of the way the church's teaching on the death penalty in presented, 
Francis declared that "this problem cannot be merely reduced to a mere memory 
of historical teaching without bringing to the fore not only the progress in 
the teaching by the work of the last pontiffs but also the changed awareness 
consciousness of the Christian people, that rejects an attitude which consents 
to a punishment that heavily harms human dignity."

Aware that some will question this radical change in the light of what happened 
in the Papal States and church in the past, Francis explained that "in past 
centuries, when faced with a poverty of instruments of defense and social 
maturity had not yet reached a positive development, recourse to the death 
penalty appeared as the logical consequence of the application of justice which 
had to be adhered to."

"Sadly, too," he said, "also in the Papal State there was recourse to the 
extreme and inhuman remedy, ignoring the primacy of mercy over justice." 
Speaking as the Successor of St. Peter, he said, "We assume responsibility for 
the past, and we recognize that those means were dictated more by a legalistic 
than a Christian mentality. The concern to fully preserve the powers and the 
material riches led to an overestimation of the value of the law, preventing a 
going in depth into the understanding of the Gospel."

Turning to the present time, Francis said, "Today, however, to remain neutral 
[on this question] in the face of new demands for the reaffirmation of personal 
dignity, would render us guiltier."

Clearly anticipating objections of a theological nature from some quarters, 
Francis explained, "Here we are not in the presence of any contradiction with 
past teaching, because the dignity of human life from the first instant of 
conception to natural death has always found in the church it coherent and 
authoritative voice." Indeed, he said, "the harmonious development of doctrine 
requires putting aside positions in defense of arguments that already appear 
decidedly against the new understanding of Christian truth."

In this light, he declared, "It is necessary therefore to restate that, however 
grave the crime that may be committed, the death penalty is inadmissible 
because it attacks the inviolability and the dignity of the person."

Pope Francis concluded by saying: "Tradition is a living reality and only a 
partial vision can think of 'the deposit of faith' as something static. The 
Word of God cannot be conserved in mothballs as if it were an old blanket to be 
preserved from parasites. No. The Word of God is a dynamic reality, always 
alive, that progresses and grows because it tends towards a fulfillment that 
men cannot stop."

This "law of progress," he said, "appertains to the peculiar condition of the 
truth revealed in its being transmitted by the church, and does not at all 
signify a change of doctrine. One cannot conserve the doctrine without making 
it progress, nor can one bind it to a rigid and immutable reading without 
humiliating the Holy Spirit."

(source: americanmagazine.org)








UGANDA:

Uganda Can Abolish Death Penalty - EU Envoy



The European Union Head of Delegation to Uganda, Mr Attilio Pacifici has urged 
Uganda to abolish the death penalty because it is "the global trend."

"It's not a strong correlation between the poverty and capital punishment, 
there's such a strong link; people living in poverty are at a greater risk of 
suffering the death sentence because they have no access to credible defence," 
Mr Pacifici said.

He was speaking at the International Day Against the Death Penalty at the 
Foundation for Human Rights Initiative in Nsambya, Kampala, on Wednesday.

The 15th anniversary was attended by death row survivors, human rights 
defenders, officials from the Uganda Prison Services, the French Ambassador to 
Uganda, Ms Stephanie Rivoal, politicians, among others.

The envoy said the death penalty is an inhuman and degrading form of punishment 
that does not deter crime.

He hailed the Prison Services for allowing his delegation to conduct a survey 
at Luzira Prisons last week where they discovered that most of inmates on death 
row are poor and could not afford justice. "Not every country allows foreigners 
into their prisons," he said.

He stressed the importance of giving people a 2nd chance.

He decried several flaws in the criminal justice system.

"Judges are human beings, like police officers, they make mistakes. Good legal 
aid is not available to the vast majority of defendants," he said. "They 
[suspects] cannot afford it, some case files go missing; miscarriage of justice 
is inevitable in every justice system and is irreversible. How then can someone 
in an error-prone and imperfect system pass an irreversible sentence?"

He cited the cases of Mr Edmary Mpagi and Mr Patrick Zzizinga, who were 
sentenced to death for murders they never committed.

Alicia Vikander won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2016, but what are some 
things you might not have known about this stunning starlet?

Mr Mpagi and his cousin, Mr Fred Masembe (who died in prison) were sentenced to 
death in 1982 for murdering George William Wandyaka, their neighbour in Masaka 
District.

However, Mr Wandyaka was found alive even after Mr Mpagi's release after 18 
years on death row. Mr Zzizinga on his part, was convicted and sentenced to 
death for "killing" his wife with whom they still live.

Even after the famous Suzan Kigula, in which the Supreme Court annulled the 
mandatory death sentence, and ordered a review of all cases for resentencing, 
many death row inmates still suffer inordinate delays in the appellate process, 
because they cannot afford timely justice or their files went missing.

"The death penalty is not prevention, not reparation, it's just revenge," Ms 
Rivoal, the French ambassador said, adding that abolition is a sign of respect 
for human life. "It's a moral choice. A political choice and here in Uganda, 
it's your choice."

Status

Currently, Uganda has 160 death row inmates, 6 women. Uganda has 28 offenses 
that attract the death--the highest number in East Africa--however, with 
exemptions to juveniles, pregnant women and the mentally ill.

The last executions happened in 1999 and 2005 for the civilian and military 
systems, respectively.

Public support for the death penalty in Uganda has tremendously reduced, with 
64 per cent reportedly backing abolition.

The ambassador said, the EU (which funded the Kigula petition) has no intention 
to interfere with Uganda's courts, but it will support strengthen the judiciary 
and entire justice system.

He thus urged government to: pass the Law Revision Law (Revision Penalties in 
Criminal Matters) Miscellaneous Amendment Bill 2015 to give effect to the 
Supreme Court ruling in Kigula and limit the application of the death penalty 
to the most serious crimes as defined by international standards; require that 
all competent authorities consider the economic status of the defendants in 
deciding whether to impose or uphold a death sentence; ensure full respect for 
the right to a fair trial and the right to effective counsel and work to reduce 
poverty and inequality in the country.

(source: allafrica.com)

**********************

Tears as death row inmates beg for mercy



The request was made in a song presented to the EU head of delegation Atilio 
Pacifici and other heads of missions accredited to Uganda who were on a fact 
finding mission ahead of the commemoration of the 15th World Day against Death 
Penalty.

A somber mood engulfed the female wing of Luzira Prison as inmates on death row 
wept while begging for mercy and asking Government to give them a 2nd chance to 
life.

The request was made in a song presented to the EU head of delegation Atilio 
Pacifici and other heads of missions accredited to Uganda who were on a fact 
finding mission ahead of the commemoration of the 15th World Day against Death 
Penalty.

With tears flowing down their faces, they admitted to have committed crimes but 
they have realized their mistakes and apologize to the public, they have 
reformed and promise to live a responsive life if given a 2nd chance to live, 
the inmates sung.

"It's true we have accepted we made a mistake, we seek for your forgiveness in 
repentance. Death penalty should be abolished, we won't do it again, we are 
broken please don't kill us we are so sorry, the inmates cried as they begged 
for mercy.

"We apologize to our country; we apologize to fellow Uganda citizens. We 
apologize to the people we offended. We are remorseful because our acts for 
that reason reformed, the inmates sung as they asked for forgiveness.

"The European Union strongly opposes the death penalty in all circumstances, 
and works towards the universal abolition of the death penalty, if necessary by 
lobbying for the immediate establishment of a moratorium which paves the way 
for its abolition," Pacifici informed inmates.

For the last 12 years, on October 10 of every year, nations have commemorated 
World Day against the Death Penalty. But Uganda still retains the death penalty 
although no execution has been carried out since 1999, when Haji Mustapha 
Sebirumbi was sent to the gallows.

Currently, 155 out of 195 independent states have abolished the death penalty 
in law or practice. 105 states have fully abolished the death penalty including 
19 from Africa, 6 have abolished for ordinary crimes, 48 states have abolished 
in practice while 36 are executing.

Although Uganda last carried out executions in 1999, courts still sentence 
people to suffer death. Uganda's Prisons currently accommodate 198 death row 
inmates of these, 11 are female while 187 are male. For an execution to be 
carried out, the President has to sign a warrant first.

Annet Nakafeero, a former death row prisoner in an interview with the New 
Vision says she collapsed the moment court pronounced that she was sentenced to 
suffer death.

"I fainted and collapsed in the dock but gained cautiousness while in the 
condemn section of Luzira Women's prison. Being a single parent, I kept 
thinking of what would befall my children in case I died in prison," Nakafeero 
narrates.

Although her penalty was reduced, she did not regain freedom since High Court 
sentenced her to 45 years after mitigation hearing. She said she was surprised 
when the High Court gave her a long sentence despite her pleadings and appeals 
by her children and prison authorities.

Nakafeero said she had an abusive marriage which resulted into the murder of 
her husband.

"It is true I committed a crime but I apologized and given a chance, I am a 
reformed person and ready to go back to my community and sensitize people 
against wrong doing. I have learnt a lot and I feel changed," narrated 
Nakafeero.

Despite the High Court ruling, Nakafeero is still waiting for her final verdict 
after 13 years.

Jamilah Zubedah, the youngest death row inmate who was imprisoned at the age of 
14 for murdering a man she claimed to have abducted her and forced her into 
marriage with his 5 wives says she did not intend to kill him.

"I was abducted and forced into marriage, while in abduction, I decided to mix 
sleeping tablets into the man's food so that I could take advantage of his 
sleep to escape, unfortunately his children ate the food and died," Zubedah 
confessed.

"I apologize for that I did and pray that Government gives me a 2nd chance 
because I was young but now I have grown up and I have learnt how to resolve 
problems," Zubedah cried as she begged for mercy.

Foundation for Human Right???s Initiative and other partners who were in the 
campaign for the abolition of the death penalty carried out various activities 
including a solidarity visit to death row inmates at the Women's prison and the 
condemn section of Luzira.

Other Diplomats present included; Stephanie Rivoal the French Ambassador, Hugo 
Verbist the Belgian Ambassador, Henk Jan Bakker Netherlands Ambassador, 
Domenico Fornara the Italian Ambassador, Finbar Obrien Irish Ambassador, Petra 
Kochendoerfer Charge d'Affaires- German Embassy and Mogens Pedersen the Danish 
Ambassador.

(source: New Vision)








KENYA:

Lift death row penalty, says ICJ



The International Court of Justice (ICJ) wants the government to lift the death 
sentence arguing that it violates a person's right to life.

During a meeting with death row inmates and prison heads held at the Kamiti 
Maximum Prison, ICJ argued that hanging is not the best way to rehabilitate 
prisoners.

"Death row does not in any way rehabilitate someone who has made a mistake in 
his or her past," said Silas Kamanza, Programs Officer at ICJ. "It just 
tortures them, both psychologically and physically. In addiction to this, it 
violates their right to life which is against the Kenyan constitution."

Peter Kehia Mwaniki, who has been waiting for the hangman for the past 16 years 
at Kamiti prison said that he has trouble sleeping as he knows not the day or 
the time.

"I have been here since 2001 when I was sentenced to death. When you know you 
are going to die, you can't even sleep at night, all you think about is your 
death and the anxiety of not knowing when it will happen," he said.

Mr. Mwaniki, currently a law student at the prison university was found guilty 
of robbery with violence and murder.

If the death penalty was raised, he feels that it would give him a 2nd chance 
to make Kenya better.

David Munyui is another inmate who has been at Kamiti for the last 2 years. He 
was sentenced to death after being "framed for murder."

"I was framed for murder simply because I was the last person to be seen with 
the deceased. I was sentenced to death and right now, I have left my fate to 
God. There's little more I can do," Munyui said.

Kamanza said that most of the inmates on death row either don't have the money 
to hire a competent lawyer to allow them to access a fair hearing in court or 
they never make it to trial due to the rampant corruption in the country.

(soruce: citizentv.co.ke)








IRAN:

Iran Among Top 3 Death Penalty Countries -- New Persecutions



As human rights groups marked the World Day against Death Penalty on October 
10, Amnesty International, AI, announced that China, Iran, and Iraq were the 
top three countries carrying out executions.

Courts in these countries have issued death sentences after unfair trials often 
based on confessions obtained through torture. Amnesty International also said, 
Iran is one of the few countries in the world that uses the death penalty to 
punish political opponents.

The organization does not have accurate information about the number of 
executions in China, however, it estimates that more than 567 people were 
executed in Iran in 2016.

"At least 1/2 of the death penalties in Iran are due to drug related offenses 
which are globally not considered serious crimes," Raha Bahreini from Amnesty 
International said in an interview with Radio Farda.

Currently, up to 5,000 mostly young people are on death row because of drug 
trafficking.

For many years, experts and lawmakers discuss the possibility of abolishing the 
death penalty for drug related offenses.

In August, parliament passed an amendment that would raise the threshold for 
imposing the death penalty in drug trafficking cases to 50 kg of opium, and 2 
kg of heroin, morphine, cocaine, or their chemical derivatives. The amendment 
requires a second approval by the parliament and a final approval by the 
Guardian Council.

The council, controlled by ultra-conservative clerics has been responsible for 
some modifications of the original bill. After the modifications, the positive 
aspects of the bill have been weakened significantly, Tara Sepehrifar from 
Human Rights Watch told Radio Farda.

Iran also has been criticized by human rights organizations for executing 
minors. Based on their estimates, at least 90 young convicts are awaiting their 
death in Iranian prisons.

Continuing persecution of minorities and activists

The Islamic Republic continues the persecution of members of religious 
minorities and political and human rights activists. In recent years, several 
members of a Sufi order have received long prison sentences or sent to exile in 
a remote area.

Early this month, a revolutionary court in Shiraz convicted Mohammad Ali 
Shamshirzan, a member of a Gonabadi order, to life imprisonment for "waging war 
against God".

Last week, a court in Tehran convicted 7 reformists, including the brother of 
former president Mohammad Khatami to up to 2 years in prison and a ban from 
political and journalistic activities due to "propaganda against the regime".

They are all members of the banned reformist party, Participation Front who 
recently wrote an open letter to parliament criticizing the Revolutionary Guard 
for interfering in court cases related to political activists.

The members of Baha'i community are still treated harshly by security and 
judicial institutions in Iran. In recent days, Baha'i sources reported that 8 
new members of their community had received jail sentences. They had been 
charged with "propaganda against the regime" and "promoting Baha'i faith".

In an interview with Radio Farda, Simin Fahandej from Baha'i International 
Community condemned the sentences and said their only crime was that they were 
Baha'i and nothing else.

(source: radiofarda.com)

*******************

Death Penalty: Oral Statement 36th session of the Human Rights Council



Amnesty International is concerned about the way in which the death penalty is 
used in the minority of states that still resorts to it, and in particular 
wishes to draw the attention of the Council to the states that disregard their 
international obligations and impose death sentences for offences that took 
place when the sentenced persons were below 18 years of age.

(soruce: iran-hrm.com)








THAILAND:

Ministry says lifting of death penalty needs public hearing



The Ministry of Justice says the call by Amnesty International for Thailand to 
lift death penalty and execution needs a public hearing to hear views from all 
relevant individuals and agencies.

The statement by the ministry's permanent-secretary Visit Visitsora-at came 
after the Amnesty International resubmitted its call citing that the country 
now has a new constitution in place.

He said Article 77 of the Constitution states clearly of a public hearing in 
case of making any change in the law.

Therefore the lifting of the death sentence and execution needs amendment of 
the law and the holding of the public hearing, he said.

The result of the public hearing will then be submitted to the cabinet for 
approval.

(source: thaipbs.or.th)



JAPAN:

Death penalty sought for 'black widow' serial killer



Prosecutors requested Tuesday the death penalty for a 70-year-old woman, dubbed 
Japan's "black widow," charged with the murders of her husband and 2 common-law 
partners and the attempted murder of an acquaintance between 2007 and 2013.

Describing Chisako Kakehi's alleged crimes as "heinous and serious incidents 
that are rarely seen," the prosecutors said in their closing arguments at the 
Kyoto District Court that the victims -- all elderly men -- inadvertently 
drank cyanide given to them by a debt-ridden Kakehi who was endeavoring to 
inherit their assets.

The court is scheduled to hand down a ruling on Nov 7, with the defense making 
its closing statements on Wednesday.

Prosecutors said Kakehi is mentally competent and can be held responsible for 
her crimes, which "were premeditated." Her "cognitive function has not 
significantly deteriorated as shown in her psychiatric evaluation," and that 
she had no mental disorders at the time of the crimes, they said.

Kakehi denied the charges and pleaded not guilty. Her defense argued that she 
cannot be held responsible or stand trial due to her suffering dementia, citing 
her incoherent statements which they said even led to her once admitting during 
proceedings to committing murder.

According to prosecutors, Kakehi murdered her 75-year-old husband Isao as well 
as common-law partners Masanori Honda, 71, and Minoru Hioki, 75, and tried to 
kill her acquaintance Toshiaki Suehiro, 79, by having them drink cyanide 
between 2007 and 2013.

In the trial held under Japan's lay judge system, which involves citizen 
judges, the prosecutors had to use circumstantial evidence to argue Kakehi's 
guilt amid a dearth of physical evidence.

Kakehi was first arrested in November 2014 and indicted the following month on 
a charge of killing Isao, who died at the couple's home in Muko, Kyoto 
Prefecture, in December 2013. They married the previous month. She was later 
indicted in connection with the deaths of the 2 other men.

Kakehi, a native of Fukuoka Prefecture, married first at the age of 24 and 
launched a fabric printing factory in Osaka Prefecture with her 1st husband. 
But following his death in around 1994, the factory went bankrupt and her house 
was put up for auction, forcing her to ask neighbors for a loan.

She later registered with a matchmaking service, specifically asking to meet 
wealthy men with an annual income of more than 10 million yen.

She was romantically involved with or associated with more than 10 men, 
enabling her to inherit an estimated 1 billion yen but later fell into debt 
following her attempts to speculate in stocks and futures trading.

(source: japantoday.com)








SOUTH KOREA:

South Korean church pushes for abolition of death penalty----While no one has 
been executed there since 1997, capital punishment remains in the codes of 
criminal law



Catholic Church leaders in South Korea have asked the country's parliament to 
legally abolish capital punishment as part of commemorations for World Day 
Against the Death Penalty.

Such sentiments were put forward at an event attended by religious leaders, 
rights activists and politicians at the National Assembly Oct. 10.

Co-organized by Korean bishops' Committee for Justice and Peace and lawmaker 
Fidelis Lee Sang-min of the ruling Minjoo Party, the event commemorated the 
World Day Against the Death Penalty and the 20 years of moratorium on death 
penalty executions in South Korea.

Among those attending the event were Bishop Lazzaro You Heung-sik of Daejeon, 
president of the CBCK committee.

"Today's event is a stepping stone for South Korea to make its journey from 
moratorium of death sentence to its legal abolition," said Bishop You. "Only 
when the value of human life is respected, the cruelty of humanity can be 
cured," he said.

"Now it's time for the National Assembly to answer our calls by presenting a 
bill to abolish it and passing it."

At the event, National Assembly speaker Chung Sye-kyun said: "Some say we 
should maintain the capital punishment to counterpart the ever-ferocious crimes 
in our society."

He said that the National Assembly will try its best to abolish it in the 
process of constitution revision and bill deliberation.

South Korea has not carried out an execution since Dec. 30, 1997. South Korea 
is considered a de facto abolitionist country, but it still has capital 
punishment in codes of criminal law.

There are 61 people currently on death row in the country.

(source: ucanews.com)