MADRID—The next Anti-Death Penalty Congress will be held in a country that has not abolished the death penalty, and a call has been made to specially invite judges from states that uphold capital punishment.
These developments climaxed the Fifth Congress in Madrid yesterday which ended with a march by abolitionists from around the world through downtown Madrid, Carnival style to drumming rhythms.
T&T’s Leela Ramdeen participated in the parade’s portrayal of the abolitionist movement halting capital punishment via a line of members—from all over the globe—holding a huge rope and noose. Ramdeen held part of the rope with others as the parade attracted attention in a sweltering summer Spanish Saturday afternoon.
Addressing participants ahead of the march, the general manager of the organising entity of the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty (WCADP), Raphael Chenuil Hazan announced the next meeting will be held in a retentionist country.
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadie made the call for judges from countries upholding the death penalty to be invited to the next meeting. She also appealed for the rest of her fellow Peace Prize holders to join the lobby.
The declaration at the end of the meeting noted the abolition movement is expanding with 70 states no longer implementing capital punishment and retentionist states like Iraq showing concern on the issue.
However, it was noted 93 states still retain the death penalty, 58 implement it and some states which had shown interest in halting have regressed to reintroduction.
The congress called on retentionist states to reduce the list of crimes punishable by the penalty, implement UN protocols on human rights including moratoriums and called on judges in retentionist states to use discretion and not utilise capital punishment.
Members also called on Parliaments to laise with retentionist states on the matter. Countries which abolished the penalty were mandated to use more diplomatic action to reach retentionist states on the issue.
The movement’s lobby expanding
The movement’s lobby is also expanding via a world network of universities established in Norway, said Spain’s Frederick Mayor.
Swiss Foreign Affairs Minister Didier Burkhalter said the group will have many choices for the next congress.
A representative of the Indian Bar Association appealed for the congress to be held in India. European Union representative on human rights Stavros Lambinidis, who spoke ahead of that representative and who had suggested the next congress be held in a retentionist state, had called on Africa to play a leadership role in encouraging states to drop the death penalty.
The four-day conference aimed at heightening awareness of the abolition thrust, gauged worldwide success in the effort and planned to meet challenges old and new.
European politicians and leaders, world experts and Nobel Peace Prize Laureates featured alongside former death row exonorees—those proven innocent after death row status—from the US and Taiwan told their stories as well.
Impact was also created by Japanese photographer Toshi Kazama who related touchingly his experience in photographing death row teenagers in the US, and Souad Al Khame whose husband and son were killed by terrorists yet doesn’t subscribe to capital punishment.
Congress plans October 10 meeting in T&T
The Caribbean region’s 13 states which uphold the death penalty featured strongly enough for organisers of the congress, the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, to plan a meeting in T&T on October 10, according to an announcement to participants by Carmelo Cruz of the Puerto Rican region on Thursday. Aim is to consolidate regional abolitionist units of each island to strengthen the regional lobby.
Another contender to host the meeting was Jamaica which also retains the death penalty and which like T&T has expansive conference facilities. However, Cruz said T&T was strategically important since many saw it as a leading Caribbean centre. Maria Donatelli, WCATDP executive director, told the T&T Guardian the situation is to be worked out.
T&T’s impact on the situation has been already been established. Participants from the UN, Jamaica and Argentina all referenced issues relevant to the matter by T&T attorney Douglas Mendes, SC, former president Arthur NR Robinson as well as issues concerning T&T where former administrations were at odds with the abolition thrust. The International Criminal Court—born of Robinson’s initiative—and where current President Anthony Carmona once served in his previous incarnation on issues with the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, have also been talking points in the sessions.
The ICC is expected to assume larger status at the next congress following a idea point by WCADP President Florence Bellivier on Friday.