London, U.K. — Amnesty International has received credible reports that nine persons were executed on the night of August 26 in Gambia, and that more persons are under threat of imminent executions in the coming days.

According to reliable sources nine persons, including one woman, were removed from their prison cells last night and executed. Two of those said to have been executed are supposed to have been Senegalese.

In Gambia, capital punishment can be imposed for murder and treason. Three of the reportedly executed have been sentenced for treason.

“The decision of the Gambian president Yahya Jammeh to execute nine prisoners after more than a quarter of a century without execution would be a giant leap backwards”, said Paule Rigaud, Amnesty International’s Africa deputy director.

“If confirmed the reported executions are a hugely retrograde step – they would bring The Gambia back into the minority of countries which are still executing, and we are urging the authorities to immediately halt any further possible executions” said Rigaud.

The last execution in the country took place in 1985, 27 years ago. Amnesty International had classified Gambia as abolitionist in practice, and therefore as one of the more than two thirds of states worldwide which have abolished the death penalty either in law or practice.

In Africa, 22 of the 54 member states of the African Union are abolitionist in practice, and 16 are abolitionist in law for all crimes.

On both 19 and 20 August, in a television address broadcast to mark the Muslim feast of Eid-al-Fitrt, President Jammeh had announced to the nation that by the middle of September all existing death sentences would be “carried out to the letter”.

According to The Gambian government, there were 42 men and two women on death row as of 31 December 2011, 13 of whom had been sentenced during that year. This year, three men have reportedly also received the death sentence, making a total of 47 people currently on death row.

“President Jammeh should establish an immediate moratorium on the death penalty, in line with resolutions of the UN General Assembly and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights,” said Rigaud.

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases as a violation of the right to life and the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.

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The European Commission decided to extend the list of goods subject to export controls, to prevent their use for capital punishment, torture or other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. As of today, trade of certain anesthetics, such as sodium thiopental, which can be used in lethal injections, to countries that have not yet abolished the death penalty, will be tightly controlled. Furthermore, the scope of the European Union regulation has been enlarged to include other products such as spike batons that previously were not prohibited.

“I wish to underline that the European Union opposes the death penalty under all circumstances,” said Catherine Ashton, High Representative for the Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission. “The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union states that no one shall be condemned to the death penalty, or executed. In this regard, the decision today contributes to the wider EU efforts to abolish death penalty worldwide. This is a first step in response to the calls of civil society organizations and the European Parliament to strengthen the EU legislation. It will be followed by a full review of the relevant regulation next year.”

Council Regulation, concerning trade in certain goods which could be used for capital punishment, torture, or other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, was adopted on June 27, 2005. It comprises an import and export ban for certain goods listed in Annex II and an export control regime for certain other goods listed in Annex III.

In March 2010, Amnesty International published a report asking for a number of amendments to this regulation. The European Parliament repeated these requests in a resolution adopted on June 17, 2010. Since then, the Commission has examined possible ways to move forward in order to respond to these calls.

Today, the Commission adopted regulation amending the previous one, concerning trade in certain goods which could be used for capital punishment, torture, or other cruel, inhuman acts. As a result:

• exports of short and medium acting barbiturate anesthetic agents are subject to prior authorization by national authorities;
• imports and exports of spiked batons are prohibited;
• imports and exports of electric shock sleeves and cuffs are prohibited (electric shock belts were already banned before).

The Commission will carry out an in-depth review in 2012 which may result in a proposal for an amendment of the regulation to be adopted by the European Parliament and the Council. The lists of goods may be further amended in parallel, if other goods are identified as needing particular surveillance.

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As the entire world watched, you put the needle in Troy Davis’ vein. As candlelight vigils were held in London, Paris and New York, you ignored the outcries and decided it was more important to be right than protect justice. As Davis refused his last meal and last words, you continued to reject every last minute plea.

This particular case is not even about whether the death penalty is right or wrong. This case is not about Troy’s guilt or innocence. It is well beyond all that. This case proves our criminal justice and legal system are beyond repair. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that people from low socioeconomic status or minorities are far more likely to be convicted than rich white people.

Not only convicted, but likely will have longer sentences or death. Does that seem fair? Furthermore, the burden of proof during the original trial rests with the prosecution. However, for every other appeal, the defendant must prove his innocence. You, dear Georgia, completely botched this case from the beginning.

Witnesses were tainted, the jurors were tainted and the police never even considered any other suspects. The trial should have been moved to a different location after you flashed Davis’ picture on the news with the words “Cop Killer.” You should not have had all the “witnesses” together to reenact the crime.

Any two-bit police department in the nation knows this. What is your excuse for acting so unprofessionally on this case? Without any evidence of Troy’s guilt, how can he prove he is innocent? Yet, that is what the courts have expected of Davis.

I cry tonight as your state murders a man. I think that maybe this will open up the eyes of the nation of the problems with the death penalty. However, that won’t bring Troy Davis back. He has spent most of his life in jail only to be killed by your state to teach him killing is wrong. I wonder if the victim was not a cop or not white if the outcome would be different?

I already know the answer to that. A police officer’s life is worth more than other people. I hope everybody feels good down there for this state-sponsored lynching. Please know that I will never spend another moment in your state again. I would hate to be wrongly accused of a crime in your backwards ass state.

Yours truly,
Erin

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The world is still coming to terms with the shocking execution of Georgia inmate Troy Davis as more details emerge of Davis’ final moments. Davis spoke to the spectators gathered to watch him be put to death on Tuesday night. His final words before the lethal injection took his life were chilling.

Addressing some of his last words to the family of the victim, Mark MacPhail, who were in the viewing gallery, Davis lifted his head as needles were inserted into his arm, and insisted, as he always has done, that he was not responsible for killing the young, off-duty police officer.

“I am innocent. The incident that happened that night was not my fault,” he said, according to the four US media representatives who attended. “I personally did not have a gun. I was not the one who took the life of your father, son, brother.” Davis then turned to prison officials. “For those about to take my life, may God have mercy on your souls. May God bless your souls.”

Outside, the crowd of nearly 700 people cried and held hands as Troy Davis was killed. Over a million people from around the world signed petitions in support of Davis. Riot police and helicopters were dispatched as the execution approached, however there were no incidents of violence. Even though, many protesters were angry.

Davis’ lawyers amounted the execution to a “legal lynching.” “In the state of Georgia 48.4 percent of people on death row this morning were black males, and in Georgia they make up no more than 15 percent of the population,” his lawyers told reporters outside the jail.

Polls show that 57 percent of Americans believe Davis is innocent. This may be, as I have been saying, the catalyst that ends capital punishment in America. The US currently executes more people than any country in the world except China, Iran, North Korea and Yemen.

Although just over 60 percent of the public still support capital punishment, that number appears to have been slowly falling since the 1990s. DNA technology has allowed several death row inmates to be exonerated in recent years, denting faith in the system. Davis released a final message to supporters earlier in the day.

Edward Dubose, a member of the Georgia NAACP, met with Troy before his execution. “Troy wanted me to let you know – keep the faith. The fight is bigger than him … The death penalty in this country needs to end. They call it execution; we call it murder.”

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The Supreme Court unanimously rejected Troy Davis’ appeal. Davis was killed at 11:0PM EST  in Georgia. Troy Davis’ case was long and complicated. Davis has been scheduled for execution four times, appealing the decision successfully each time.

Although Davis was scheduled to die at 7 PM EST on Wednesday night, a last minute plea by Davis’ lawyers to the Supreme Court, caused a delay in his execution while the Supreme Court weighed in on the controversial case. Troy Davis reportedly was strapped to a gurney waiting to die for four hours.

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the jail while dozens of riot police officers barricaded the jail and arrested those that crossed the line. During the lengthy delay, Davis’ family remained quiet outside the jail. The slain officer’s family waited inside to watch the execution. Laura Moye, an organizer with Amnesty International, was on prison grounds all evening long.

“We are just profoundly saddened and upset,” Moye said. A prayer circle had formed around the Davis family earlier in the evening and remained through the execution. “We knew that it was a long shot,” Moye said. “Troy Davis has always had difficult odds. He’s faced executions three times…We always held on to our hope.

We got this far by believing in the power of human rights. Now it seems there’s nothing that can intervene to stop this execution.” “People are trying to rally around this family. Everybody wants to be there standing in support of the Davis family,” Moye explained. “A lot of people standing in disbelief.”

All around the world, protesters held demonstrations. Residents around the world tweeted, “Dear Georgia,” reminding the state that the world is watching their decision. Earlier in the day, many people weighed in on the impending execution. Moye said that the support Davis’ case has received from the public has been very moving. ”What is a miracle in this case is so many people have raised their voices,” Moye said.

Troy Davis was convicted of the 1989 killing of an off-duty police officer, primarily of witness testimony. Since that time, Davis has maintained his innocence and the majority of witnesses have recanted their testimony. A group of former death row wardens wrote to Georgia authorities calling on them to halt the death sentence due to doubts about Davis’ guilt.

Among the group was the former warden in charge of the Georgia death chamber. ”While most of the prisoners whose executions we participated in accepted responsibility for the crimes for which they were punished, some of us have also executed prisoners who maintained their innocence until the end,” the wardens wrote in a press release.

“It is those cases that are most haunting to an executioner.” Meanwhile, the family of the murdered officer and the case’s original prosecutor have argued strenuously for Davis’s execution, and have asserted that there is no doubt that he is guilty of the murder.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/death_penalty/

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By the time you read this, Troy Davis may know his fate. On Monday, Troy Davis and supporters pleaded for clemency in front of the Georgia Board of Paroles and Pardons amid unprecedented support for his imminent death sentence to be commuted. The hearing and decision is expected on Tuesday.

Georgia legal system sentenced Davis 20 years ago for the murder of an off-duty police officer. Since that time, Davis and family members have maintained his innocence. With no physical evidence linking Davis to the crime, he was convicted on eyewitnesses’ testimony. The majority of witnesses have since recanted.

In fact, one witness has come forward stating that another man confessed to killing the officer at a party. Despite this, the execution has been scheduled for Wednesday.

A trending topic on Twitter, more and more people are convinced that Georgia may be taking the life of an innocent man. Nearly one million signatures have been collected on a petition requesting clemency for Davis. Three hundred demonstrations and vigils have been held around the globe in the past few days, with protesters holding signs stating “I am Troy Davis” and “Justice for Troy Davis.”

The parole board heard from one of the jurors who originally recommended the death penalty for Davis. Brenda Forrest told the panel that she no longer trusted the verdict or sentence: “I feel, emphatically, that Mr. Davis cannot be executed under these circumstances,” she said, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The board also heard from Quiana Glover, who testified that she had heard Sylvester Coles, one of the witnesses that fingered Davis, confess in June 2009 to having been the killer, at a party where he had been drinking heavily. Members of the murdered officer’s family still believe Davis is the killer and ask that the execution go forward.

We are at an important point in our legal history. If Georgia decides to go forward with the execution, as they have in the past, the death penalty will no longer be sustainable in the United States. Yes, it may take awhile to pitter out, especially in pro-death states like Texas. But, the majority opinion in the U.S. will change. The tides are already changing and executing Troy Davis will be the final push.

Whether he is guilty or innocent is not the point. There is simply too much doubt to kill someone. Even if the witnesses had not recanted and pointed their finger at Troy, eyewitness testimony is not enough. Study after study has proved that. How in the hell did the jury ever sentence this man based on no physical evidence?

And how has court after court upheld this freaking travesty of a conviction? And how can the country be so blind to these injustices? The West Memphis Three, an equally horrendous case, received more media attention because the media could get to them. The Georgia Board of Paroles and Pardon has never allowed media to interview Davis. Why???

Because they know they royally screwed this up. And this is your chance, Georgia, to make amends. Grant Davis clemency once and for all. Allow him a new trial. If you were right, you have nothing to lose. And if you were wrong, that is the very least you can do for Davis.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/javacolleen/

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A clemency hearing has been set for Monday in the case of Troy Davis. Davis is scheduled to be executed on September 21 at 7 PM in Georgia despite the lack of evidence. Davis and supporters will plead their case before the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles next week. Meanwhile Amnesty International are ramping up their ongoing petition drive to plead with Georgia to stay Davis’ execution once again.

Davis has been on death row since 1999 for the killing of an off-duty police officer in 1989. Although no physical evidence connected Davis to the crime, nine witnesses reported he shot the officer in a Burger King parking lot. Seven of the nine witnesses have since recanted their testimony. Support for Troy Davis has been world wide and include the Pope, Desmond Tutu, Jesse Jackson and others.

Amnesty International says “support for Davis’s clemency campaign has swelled with hundreds of thousands of people worldwide taking action, from luminaries such as Nobel laureate Jose Ramos Horta to singer-songwriter Cee Lo Green.”

Amnesty International also says that among the petition signatures from around the world, 26,000 come from Georgia residents and that “support has also come in form of letters to the parole board from former President Jimmy Carter and Norman Fletcher, former chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court, to Tweets from R.E.M.”

“This is a case that has resonated with Americans of all stripes,” said Larry Cox, executive director of AIUSA.  “When serious questions about someone’s guilt permeate a case, it brings together liberals and conservatives, those who oppose the death penalty and those who are staunch supporters.  In the case of Troy Davis, hundreds of thousands are raising their voices to say there is simply too much doubt to execute.”

Earlier this week, former Georgia republican Congressman Bob Barr appeared on MSNBC’s as a guest of Al Sharpton. Barr is an advocate of the death penalty, but opposes Troy Davis being executed. Barr said the “recantations of seven witnesses make the Davis case one of those where the death penalty should not be applied.”

Supporters from Amnesty International will present their petition to the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles this week. Davis’ family is also collecting signatures for their own petition which has over 200,000 names so far.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/javacolleen/

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An execution date was set for Georgia death row inmate Troy Davis. Davis, 42, is scheduled to be executed on September 21. This is the fourth time an execution date has been set for Davis. Amnesty International has renewed the call for clemency amid news of the new execution date.

Davis “could very well be innocent,” said Laura Moye, the head of Amnesty’s Death Penalty Abolition Campaign. “It’s difficult to believe that a system of justice could be so terribly flawed.” Davis was convicted for killing an off-duty police officer in 1989. Davis has maintained his innocence throughout the twenty years he has remained on death row.

Many celebrities, including Susan Sarandan, Desmond Tutu, Jesse Jackson and the Pope, have asked Georgia to give Davis a new trial. No DNA evidence was used and the conviction was based primarily on eyewitness testimony. Since the conviction, seven out of nine eyewitnesses have since recanted their stories. However, Davis has been unable to get a new trial.

In March, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Davis’ request that his execution be delayed in order to gain more time to prove his “actual innocence.” Upon reviewing Davis’ claims of innocence, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia found last year that Davis “vastly overstates the value of his evidence of innocence.”

“Some of the evidence is not credible and would be disregarded by a reasonable juror,” Judge William T. Moore wrote in a 172-page opinion. “Other evidence that Mr. Davis brought forward is too general to provide anything more than smoke and mirrors,” the court found.

Families react to the news on Wednesday of the new execution date. “The family’s still feeling optimistic. We’ve been down this road countless times to where you know executing date, clemency hearing, and then at the execution things get changed so we’re still playing very cautious,” Mark MacPhail Jr., son of the murdered police officer, told local news on Wednesday.

Davis’ sister Martina Correia has always been his biggest advocate. ”I’m very disappointed in Georgia because there’s still doubt, but I’m holding the parole board to their standard that when there’s doubt that they won’t execute,” Correia stated. A clemency hearing has been set for September 19^th.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/javacolleen/

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The Islamist Hamas which controls the Gaza Strip in the torn Palestinian territory has executed two men on Tuesday in defiance of President Mahmoud Abbas government from the West Bank.

According to Reuters, Hamas officials said that the Palestinian father and his son confessed to providing Israel with intelligence that assisted in the capturing and killing of Palestinians, including Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi, the co-founder of Hamas who was killed by the Israeli Air Force in 2004.

Human rights groups have been vocal against the execution of the two men, who had made an appeal to the court but lost. In accordance with Palestinian law, executions are permitted but they require the approval of Abbas. Since the 2007 civil was, Hamas has controlled the Gaza Strip after driving out Abbas’ secular Fatah party.

Despite signing a reconciliation agreement in May, Fatah and Hamas are still disputing the implementation of a power-sharing government. In this case, the US-backed Abbas has declined to implement his provision on executions to impose an effective ban on death penalty in the West Bank, which is currently being occupied by Israel.

Since 2010, eight Gazans have faced the firing squad for espionage at the hand of the Hamas government.

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The great state of Texas executed a man last week. In and of itself, this is hardly newsworthy. However, this particular man was a citizen of Mexico and not of the United States. This single execution could lead to a foreign crisis.

Humberto Leal Garcia, 38, was convicted of the rape and murder of a 16-year-old San Antonio girl in 1994. He was sentenced to death and has remained on death row since that time. A U.N.-backed tribunal court ruled in 2004 that Garcia was one of dozens of Mexican nationals sentenced to death by U.S. courts who had been denied their right to legal help from the Mexican consulate, violating a U.N. treaty.

The U.S. is part of a treaty that grants the right of consular assistance to all foreigners charged with a crime.  The U.N. court’s decision was even endorsed by then-President George W. Bush. However, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the U.N. decision, stating only Congress had the power to force states to review criminal cases.

Obama administration lawyers and a number of foreign policy experts expressed concern over the execution. However, Garcia was executed by lethal injection at the Texas death chamber in Huntsville despite the concerns.

In June, Sen. Patrick Leahy introduced legislation to force state courts to review the cases of Mexican nationals, but no further action has been taken on the bill. Late Thursday afternoon, the Supreme Court rejected a petition by U.S. Solicitor General Donald Verrilli Jr., who stated in a brief that Garcia’s execution violated international law and could do “irreparable harm” to U.S. foreign policy interests. Verrilli argued that the court should grant Garcia a stay of execution until Congress could vote on Sen. Leahy’s legislation.

In a 5-4 decision, the court rejected his argument. “Our task is to rule on what the law is, not what it might eventually be,” the unsigned majority decision declared. A dissent by Justice Stephen Breyer, however, said that the majority was “wrong in each respect” in its decision to reject the petition.

A number of legal experts, military officials and prominent Republicans backed the appeal. Donald J. Guter, a retired rear admiral in the Navy’s Judge Advocate General Corps, who signed a letter endorsing the Obama administration’s appeal, called the case “terrible” and said he had “no sympathy” for Garcia.

“I’m looking to protect American citizens and American service members who travel overseas, and making sure they have the protection of the treaty,” said Guter, now president and dean of the South Texas College of Law. “I think we need to take a step back and ask what principle is at stake here, and what’s best for American citizens,” he said.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry declined to intervene in the Garcia case, and the Texas Board of Paroles and Pardons voted on Tuesday to allow the execution to proceed.  ”Texas is not bound by a foreign court’s ruling,” said Katherine Cesinger, a spokeswoman for Perry. “If you commit the most heinous of crimes in Texas, you can expect to face the ultimate penalty under our laws.”

Remember Michael Fay? He was the American that was lashed six times in Singapore for vandalism. The canings created an international controversy. Most Americans were outraged that Singapore punished the American teenager.

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Troy Davis may be running out of time.  The Georgia man has spent more than half of his life sitting on death row. Despite lack of evidence and witnesses recanting testimony, Georgia judges and the Parole Board have steadfastly refused to release Troy Davis.  Davis has escaped execution through last minute appeals and court decisions four different times.

Davis is accused of murdering an off duty Savannah police officer in 1989.  The details of the night remain murky but it is clear that someone shot and killed Mark MacPhail. Davis and a friend had seen Sylvester “Redd” Coles that night arguing with a homeless man over a beer.  MacPhail was working as a security guard at a Burger King restaurant in Savannah the same night.  At about 1:15 a.m., seeking to help the homeless man who was being attacked in a nearby parking lot, MacPhail was killed. He had been shot twice, once through the heart and once in the face. He had not drawn his pistol. Witnesses to the shooting agreed that a man in a white shirt had struck the homeless man, who would later be identified as Larry Young, and then shot MacPhail. The first and most obvious suspect, Coles was the one who initially implicated Davis in the murder.  The very next evening, Coles went to the police station and stated that he had seen Davis fighting with Young and had seen Davis with a gun.  After that, the man hunt was on.  Unfortunately for Davis, he was tried and convicted in the public’s view before his trial took place.  Macphail’s murder angered police officers to such an extent that they had “shoot to kill” orders with pictures of Troy, now rechristened the cop killer, flashed across the airwaves.   There was no evidence that connected Davis to the crime.  The manhunt was based on Coles accusation.

Since Davis’ conviction in 1991, he has steadfastly maintained his innocence.  Between the trial and the first set of appeals, seven of the nine prosecution witnesses that had linked Davis to the killing had recanted or contradicted part of their original testimony.  These witnesses have signed sworn affidavits stating that they were coerced or pressured by police.  Three witnesses that did not testify have stated that Coles is the actual murderer.  Coles has not recanted his testimony.  Later, it was determined that Coles owned a .38 caliber gun like the alleged murder weapon.

Davis and his attorneys have asked for a new trial to prove his innocence and have been repeatedly denied.  Celebrities, such as Desmond Tutu, the Pope, and Jesse Jackson have all decried the sentence. Even with the star power, another execution date will be scheduled for Davis soon.  In January, Davis and supporters received another blow. The U.S. Supreme Court denied Davis’s final appeal and did not seem very concerned about the possibility of killing an innocent man.  Georgia temporarily halted executions after a federal seizure that took the state’s execution drugs.  The state will resume executions now after finding another lethal cocktail to kill people with.  Alicia Johnson, a spokesperson for the Chatham County District Attorney, told the Associated Press that the office “was ‘not immediately’ filing paperwork to seek an execution order for Davis.”

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At the general meeting for the Danish pharmaceutical company Lundbeck and its investors, the polemics surrounding the use of Lundbeck’s product Nembutal in American executions, once again, raised discussion. The head of the company, Ulf Wiinberg, addressed the issue directly in his address to the assembly, reiterating the company’s position on the unintended use of the drug Nembutal. Wiinberg told the Danish daily Berlingske Tidende business section that the board had reviewed the possibility of discontinuing the product in question once they were told about its use in the US. Despite claiming that the drug has little financial value to the company’s overall business, the company had decided not to take it out of their product line. They cite the warnings of American doctors who prescribe the drug to their patients for the final decision but point out that the company is very much against the drug’s use in executions.

However, human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and the British Reprieve have not found this position satisfactory. On the contrary, the Danish branch of Amnesty have invited Wiinberg for a meeting where they intend to discuss the pro-active strategy which they would like Lundbeck to adapt towards abolishing the death penalty in the US.

“We do not agree that this is the end of the road. That is why we are asking the top leaders of Lundbeck to meet with us to discuss how Lundbeck can strategically and actively influence effort to abolish the death penalty in the USA. On this issue, we believe that Lundbeck and Amnesty have parallel interests. Because Lundbeck’s problem goes away if the death penalty is eradicated” says Lars Normann Joergensen, the General Secretary of Amnesty International.

Joergensen is critical of Lundbeck’s effort to date. He believes the firm gave up on securing a demand for an end-user agreement with the American distributors in advance and that Lundbeck have proven unwilling to pressure the FDA for position on the arguably ‘misuse’ of their product. The General Secretary of Amnesty is hoping that “by trying to get the use [of Nembutal in executions] stopped, Lundbeck would force the distributors and the officials to make up their minds and make clear that they actually support the death penalty.”

So far, Lundbeck has denied that the company has been lacking in response. After having been made aware that their drug was being taken up in American execution processes, the board contacted grassroots organizations to review alternative solutions to discontinuing the product. “We got to the conclusion that the role of Lundbeck is to prioritize the interest of the patients and that there’s not much else we can do besides what we have done – that is to make our opinion on the matter clear. We have actually been quick to express our standpoint. It is very unusual for a company to be so clear about their positions in an American context,” says Ulf Wiinberg who do not think an activist approach would be useful.

At the general meeting, Mr. Wiinberg avoided to answer more questions from the investors by saying that the American prison authorities had been made aware that their use of Nembutal was against the wished of Lundbeck. Many investors seemed satisfied with this answer so for now, the discussion seems to have been put to rest from the company’s side.

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Amnesty International released a new report on capital punishment around the world last month.  According to Death Sentences and Executions in 2010, Amnesty found that 23 countries imposed the death penalty during last year.  Countries that use the death penalty are increasingly isolated following a decade of progress toward abolition, Amnesty International said on March 28 when they released their report.  Overall, the total number of executions was down to 527.  There were 714 reported executions during 2009.  However, these minimum figures do not take full account of China, where thousands are believed to be executed every year and but authorities there remain very secretive about the use of capital punishment.

The United States continues to impose the death penalty in certain cases, making the US the only western nation part of the list.  The 23 countries that used capital punishment in 2010 were primarily countries in the Middle East or Africa.  China is believed to have the highest number of executions in the last year although no official number is known, followed by Iran (252+), North Korea (60+), Yemen (53+),  USA, (46), Saudi Arabia (27+), Libya (18+), Syria (17+), Bangladesh (9+), Somalia (8+), Sudan (6+), Palestinian Authority (5), Egypt (4), Equatorial Guinea (4), Taiwan (4),  Belarus (2), Iraq (1+), Malaysia (1+), Bahrain (1), Singapore (unknown number) and Vietnam (unknown number).

Unfortunately, there was at least 2,024 new death sentences imposed during 2010 in 67 countries, including 365 in Pakistan alone, meaning that some 8,000 people are currently on death row in Pakistan.  The report also noted that a significant proportion of the executions or death sentences recorded in 2010 were for drug-related offenses.  Meanwhile, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and the UAE ignored international prohibitions and imposed death sentences on child offenders (individuals aged 17 or less when the alleged crimes were committed), and Iran executed a child offender named as Mohammad A.

Amnesty points out in the report that the global trend is toward abolition.  Thirty-one countries have abolished the punishment in law or in practice in the last ten years.   Last year Gabon abolished capital punishment, becoming the 139th country to either abolish the penalty outright or to cease to use it in practice.

Amnesty International Secretary General Salil Shetty discussed the figures found in the repot.  “The minority of states that continue to systematically use the death penalty were responsible for thousands of executions in 2010, defying the global anti-death penalty trend.”

“While executions may be on the decline, a number of countries continue to pass death sentences for drug-related offences, economic crimes, sexual relations between consenting adults, and blasphemy – violating international human rights law forbidding the use of the death penalty except for the most serious crimes.”

“Any country that continues to execute is flying in the face of the fact that both human rights law and UN human rights bodies consistently hold that abolition should be the objective.  A world free of the death penalty is not only possible, it is inevitable. The question is how long will it take?”

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The United Nations Human Rights Council released a list of 228 recommendations for the United States concerning their human rights record.  All U.N. members have to undergo the review once every four years.   Among the repeated recommendations throughout the list was the call for the U.S. to abolish the death penalty.  U.S. State Department legal advisor Harold Koh said capital punishment was permitted under international law, quickly dismissing the long-standing appeals by European countries and others to temporarily halt or completely abolish the death penalty.  Many critics of the death penalty say it is inhumane and unfairly applied.

“While we respect those who make these recommendations, we note that they reflect continuing policy differences, not a genuine difference about what international law requires,” Koh told the Geneva-based group.  Other nations also urged the U.S. to reduce overcrowding in prisons, ratify international treaties on the rights of women and children, and take further steps to prevent racial profiling.  Koh said the U.S. was committed to rooting out injustices and would seriously consider some of the recommendations, including one to sign a U.N. declaration on the rights of indigenous people.

“This international engagement must be followed by concrete domestic policies and actions and a commitment to fixing all domestic human rights abuses, not just the ones that are most convenient,” the director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s human rights program, Jamil Dakwar, said in a statement.

Officials from the U.S. and Europe held what may have been the first international forum of law enforcement officers on the merits of the death penalty in reducing violent crime last October.  In the under reported panel held at National Press Club in Washington, D.C.,  officers talked about whether capital punishment actually helps to keep citizens safe, assist healing for victims, or uses crime-fighting resources efficiently.  Many law enforcement officers, both domestic and from abroad, formed a consensus on the ineffectiveness of the death penalty.  Antonio Cluny, senior attorney general and public prosecutor from Portugal, made his case.  “Nobody can assure that the death penalty can contribute to reduce the number of the most horrible crimes. In Portugal, we have – without the death penalty – one of the lowest statistics [rates] of violent crimes.”

Ronald Hampton, a 23-year veteran of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, talked about his experience with capital punishment. ”What we need to do from a law enforcement perspective is to be smart on crime, not to be hard on crime… I couldn’t find evidence that the death penalty did any good here in the district, as a police officer… What we ought to be is smart on the crime. All of the money that we spend on the death penalty every year, I can imagine what that money can be involved in, if we used it in education and training for police… investing in things that can really make a difference in our community.”

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