22/11/2002

Coalition proclaims Nov. 30 World Day Against the Death Penalty

ROME (CNS) -- An international coalition of religious and human rights groups has proclaimed Nov. 30 the World Day Against the Death Penalty. The Rome-based Sant'Egidio Community, a Catholic lay group that is coordinating the initiative of the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, announced the date during a Nov. 22 press conference. Mario Marazziti, the Sant'Egidio spokesman, said 86 countries continue to sanction and use capital punishment, even though 76 countries have abolished the death penalty for all crimes, 14 have abolished it for most crimes and 21 other countries have not carried out an execution in more than 10 years. Particularly because the United States is one of the countries still using capital punishment, he said, it would be difficult to convince the United Nations to proclaim a day for reflection and education against the death penalty. Instead, he said, the Nov. 30 day is a grass-roots initiative, supported by nongovernmental organizations, including Amnesty International.