The Death Penalty
Working to end the Death Penalty at home and around the world
"The death penalty is no more effective a deterrent than life imprisonment... It is also evident that the burden of capital punishment falls upon the poor, the ignorant and the underprivileged members of society." — United States Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall
Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases and works to abolish its use worldwide — Through campaigns to abolish it in law and practice, through appeals on behalf of individuals sentenced to death, and by showing how capital punishment, both in its very essence and in the manner in which it is applied, fails to serve the goals of justice or humanity.
The principles behind our opposition to the death penalty are simple: The death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. It violates the right to life, it is irrevocable, and it can be inflicted on the innocent. In practice, it has never been proven to deter violence or make society safer. It is prone to discrimination and error, and once carried out, it is irreversible.
The majority of nations have ended capital punishment in law or practice. The United Nations Human Rights Commission has called on all nations that continue to execute to restrict the number of offenses for which the death penalty may be imposed and to suspend executions with a view toward abolishing the death penalty. Governments around the world are eliminating the death penalty.
International opinion against the death penalty continues to gain strength, but much work remains. The United States, China, Iran and Saudi Arabia account for over 80% of the executions recorded by Amnesty International, and it is still used in many countries around the world, often as a tool of political repression. Three countries — the United States, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Iran — continue to use the death penalty against juvenile offenders.
Take Action
- Group 37 will continue to oppose reinstatement of the death penalty in Minnesota whenever the issue arises. This was last proposed by Governor Pawlenty in December, 2003. learn more
- Group 37 has an active sub-group that focuses its efforts on death penalty cases. To learn more or get involved, contact us.
- Amnesty International USA has developed a section of their website devoted to death penalty cases that is updated frequently.
More about the Death Penalty
|
