Acte a Barcelona per l�abolici� de la pena de mort

La Comunitat de Sant Egidi, la Generalitat de Catalunya i l�Ajuntament de Barcelona van celebrar ahir un acte a la pla�a del Rei per demanar l�abolici� de la pena de mort arreu del m�n. Sota el lema Ciutats per la vida, contra la pena de mort, els participants van poder assistir a una breu actuaci� de la cantautora Marina Rossell, mentre que l�actor Josep Maria Pou va llegir un manifest. Va ser l�aportaci� de Barcelona a la primera jornada mundial contra la pena de mort.

La Libre Belgique

2/12/2002

L�Atomium et soixante villes contre la peine de mort

Une soixantaine de villes du monde entier illuminaient ce samedi un de leurs monuments embl�matiques pour marquer la premi�re journ�e mondiale contre la peine de mort. En Belgique, six villes ont adh�r� � l�initiative, dont Bruges, Anvers, Gand, Li�ge et Ypres. A Bruxelles, c�est le c�l�bre Atomium et ses neuf grandes sph�res de 18 m�tres de diam�tre.

Une soixantaine de villes du monde entier illuminaient ce samedi un de leurs monuments embl�matiques pour marquer la premi�re journ�e mondiale contre la peine de mort.

La d�cision d�organiser cette journ�e �mane de la Coalition mondiale contre la peine de mort (World Coalition Against Death Penalty, WCADP), constitu�e en mai au si�ge de la communaut� catholique italienne Sant�Egidio, avec la participation de nombreux mouvements de protection des droits de l�homme comme Amnesty International.

L�objectif de cette campagne est de faire comprendre que "la peine de mort est un instrument du pass� comme la torture et l�esclavage", selon Mario Marazziti, porte-parole de la communaut� de Sant�Egidio.

Le 30 novembre a �t� choisi pour cette journ�e d�action parce que c�est � cette date, en 1786, qu�un Etat souverain avait aboli pour la premi�re fois la peine de mort: le duch� de Toscane. Florence, capitale de la Toscane, organisait � cette occasion une repr�sentation th��trale sous le titre "Ca n�en vaut pas la peine", allusion transparente � la peine capitale. Le gouvernement r�gional toscan a en outre d�cern� samedi sa plus haute d�coration, la banni�re d�argent, � la s�natrice am�ricaine de l�Oklahoma Angela Monson qui lutte pour l�abolition de la peine de mort dans cet Etat et � Sima Samar, ancien vice-Premier ministre afghan et actuel pr�sident de la commission pour les droits de l�homme dans son pays.

3048 ex�cutions en 2001

En Belgique, six villes ont adh�r� � l�initiative, dont Bruges, Anvers, Gand, Li�ge et Ypres. A Bruxelles, c�est le c�l�bre Atomium et ses neuf grandes sph�res de 18 m�tres de diam�tre, culminant � 102 m�tres de hauteur, qui a �t� illumin�.

La majorit� des villes participantes �taient europ�ennes: Amsterdam, aux Pays-Bas, Barcelone, dans l�ouest de l�Espagne, Vienne en Autriche, Dublin en Irlande, Gen�ve en Suisse, Stockholm en Su�de. En France, 24 municipalit�s �de droite comme de gauche- ont particip� � cette initiative. A Rome, le Colis�e a �t� �clair� par des lumi�res sp�ciales, comme chaque fois qu�une vie humaine est sauv�e ou qu�un pays renonce � la peine de mort.

Les mouvements abolitionnistes am�ricains n�ont pour leur part pas marqu� par des manifestations particuli�res la premi�re journ�e mondiale contre la peine de mort "qu�ils soutiennent mais que les amis europ�ens dirigent", a indiqu� � l�AFP David Elliot, porte-parole de la US National Coalition Aainst The Death Penalty. Des manifestations ont toutefois eu lieu � New York.

En 2001, au moins 3�048 prisonniers ont �t� ex�cut�s dans 31 pays diff�rents et 5.265 personnes ont �t� condamn�es � la peine capitale, selon Amnesty International. Si 84 pays appliquent toujours la peine de mort, quatre Etats �la Chine, l�Iran, l�Arabie saoudite et les Etats-Unis� monopolisent quelque 90pc des ex�cutions.

La Chine a ex�cut� l�ann�e derni�re au moins 2.468 personnes mais ce nombre pourrait en r�alit� �tre bien plus �lev�, pr�cise Amnesty. Quelque 139 ex�cutions ont eu lieu en Iran, 79 en Arabie saoudite et 66 aux Etats-Unis.

Sept pays appliquent toujours la peine de mort aux criminels mineurs: la R�publique d�mocratique du Congo, l�Iran, le Nig�ria, le Pakistan, l�Arabie saoudite, les Etats-Unis et le Y�men. (Avec AFP)

La Derni�re Heure

1/12/2002

 L'Atomium dit Non � la peine de mort!

Plusieurs heures d'illuminations samedi et des messages en fran�ais, n�erlandais, anglais, chinois et arabe

LAEKEN Ce samedi 30 novembre 2002 �tait Journ�e mondiale contre la peine de mort. Des activit�s et animations ont �t� mises sur pied un peu partout dans le monde mais aussi en Belgique, afin de sensibiliser la population aux condamnations � la peine capitale encore aujourd'hui proclam�es dans certains pays du globe.

A Bruxelles, m�me notre Atomium national a d�cid� de prendre part � la journ�e et de marquer son opposition � la peine de mort. D�s 17 h, hier, l'atome de fer agrandi des milliards de fois s'est fait le support d'un message unique Non � la peine de mort, d�clin� en cinq langues, le fran�ais, le n�erlandais, l'anglais, l'arabe et le chinois. Des illuminations g�antes qu'ont pu d�couvrir les visiteurs de Bruparck jusque tr�s tard dans la soir�e...

L'op�ration de ce samedi a �t� mont�e par la Ville de Bruxelles, les responsables de l'asbl Atomium ainsi que les membres de la communaut� catholique Sant'Egidio, � l'origine de cette Journ�e.

La Ville de Bruxelles a d�cid� de ne pas s'arr�ter � cette op�ration d'un soir. Le coll�ge a ainsi marqu� son accord au parrainage d'un condamn� � mort, Dominique Green, un Afro-Am�ricain de 27 ans, actuellement dans le couloir de la mort de la Ellis One Unit, � Huntsville au Texas (USA).

Selon la communaut� Sant'Egidio, Dominique, accus� d'homicide alors qu'il venait d'avoir 18 ans, aurait subi `un proc�s injuste� et `sans qu'il lui soit permis de voir un avocat�. Pour que ce dernier puisse supporter ces futurs frais de d�fense, Bruxelles, � l'instar de Rome, Venise, Barcelone ou Grenoble, a d�cid� de lui envoyer une aide financi�re de 1.000 euros.

Karim Fadoul

01-12-2002

Il Crostolo �acceso� contro la pena di morte

Reggio mobilitata ieri per celebrare la prima giornata mondiale contro la pena di morte.
Nella mattinata, al teatro Zavattini, oltre 300 studenti dei principali istituti superiori hanno partecipato all'happening di musica e recitazione in cui l'attore Pietro Formentini ha letto documenti e poesie di condannati rinchiusi nel braccio della morte, intervallati da musiche eseguite dagli studenti del Peri. Formentini ha anche letto stralci del messaggio di solidariet� inviato agli �amici di Reggio� dai rappresentanti della coalizione che nel Texas (e specificatamente nella gemellata Fort Worth) si batte per l'abolizione della pena di morte.
Poi dalle 18 il momento pi� spettacolare, con la statua del Crostolo - in piazza Prampolini - illuminata da un raggio laser visibile da ogni punto della citt�. Scelta come monumento simbolo, sar� d'ora in poi illuminata ogni qual volta un nuovo Stato si aggiunger� a quelli che gi� hanno abolito la pena di morte.

 30-11-2002

Dal Crostolo luce per la vita 

Oggi la giornata mondiale contro la pena di morte

Un raggio di luce, sinonimo di speranza e amore per la vita. E' quello che illuminer� dalle 18 alle 24 di oggi la statua del Crostolo in piazza Prampolini in occasione della prima Giornata mondiale contro la pena di morte promossa dalla Comunit� di Sant'Egidio con lo slogan �Citt� per la vita-citt� contro la pena di morte�.

Reggio aderisce a questa iniziativa insieme a molte altre citt� italiane e a 26 metropoli del mondo. Da Roma a Venezia, da Firenze a Barcellona, da Santiago del Cile a New York sono tantissime le citt� che illumineranno un proprio monumento-simbolo come �segno della luce della vita� nella stessa data in cui, nel 1796, primo stato nella storia, il Granducato di Toscana, abol� la pena di morte.

A Reggio il momento culminante delle iniziative � appunto quando un fascio di luce, visibile da ogni punto della citt�, illuminer� la statua-fontana del Crostolo, in piazza Prampolini. Un momento che avverr� in contemporanea in tutte le citt�.

Ma gli appuntamenti promossi dal Comune, in collaborazione con oltre trenta associazioni locali impegnate nella promozione e nella tutela dei diritti umani, inizieranno gi� dal mattino con un happening di musica e parole alla Cavallerizza. Qui, dalle 10,30 alle 12,30, sul palco ci saranno l'attore Pietro Formentini e gli allievi dell'istituto musicale Achille Peri.

Per tutta la giornata si raccoglieranno firme a favore della moratoria universale contro la pena di morte. In centro storico i banchetti sono in via Emilia San Pietro, piazza Martiri del 7 luglio, piazza Prampolini e via Farini, angolo piazza Roversi.

 28-11-2002

IL 30 NOVEMBRE

La statua del Crostolo si accende per combattere la pena di morte

Francesco Ventura

Insieme al celebre Colosseo di Roma, alla City Hall di New York e ai monumenti di numerose citt� nel mondo, anche la statua del Crostolo di piazza Prampolini sar� illuminata sabato alle 18 da un raggio visibile da ogni punto della citt�, �come simbolo della luce della vita� spiega il vicesindaco Claudio Tancredi.

L'accensione sar� il momento culminante della �Prima giornata mondiale contro la pena di morte� promossa dalla Comunit� di Sant'Egidio, alla quale il Comune di Reggio ha aderito insieme a una trentina di associazioni locali che si occupano di diritti umani. �La statua del Crostolo - aggiunge Claudio Tancredi - sar� illuminata ogni volta che si avr� notizia dell'abolizione della pena di morte da parte di uno Stato o della commutazione di una condanna a morte�.

Sabato alle 10.30 al teatro Cavallerizza Pietro Formentini legger� poesie, narrazioni e documenti sul tema della pena capitale, alternandosi con gli allievi dell'istituto Peri, coordinati dal direttore Andrea Talmelli e dal maestro Claudio Piastra. Nell'ingresso del teatro, e nel pomeriggio in varie zone del centro sar� distribuito materiale sui diritti umani e sar� possibile firmare a favore della moratoria contro la pena di morte.

Execution denounced in world protest

A coalition of international human rights organisations is calling on countries around the world to abolish capital punishment in the first World Day Against the Death Penalty.
Sixty cities around the world are marking the occasion by illuminating significant landmarks.

The coalition, which has come together under the banner Together Against the Death Penalty, wants to bring pressure on nations like China and the United States, where the death penalty is still widely used.

 The event was inspired by the city of Rome, which lights up the Colosseum when an execution order is overturned or a country abolishes capital punishment.

Cities taking part include Paris, London, New York, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, as well as Rome and other cities across Italy.

Barcelona will light up its famous cathedral, Santiago plans to illuminate central park, while Belgium will light up its Atomium structure, with a dove of peace on the top.

The coalition chose 30 November as the inaugural date, the anniversary of the first occasion the death penalty was abolished, said to have been in Tuscany, in 1786.

Forced confessions

China is one of the main targets of the first World Day Against the Death Penalty.

According to human rights group Amnesty International, China last year executed at least 2,468 people - more than the other countries combined.

Although China does not issue precise figures, the number of people executed in the People's Republic has grown rapidly since it began an anti-crime drive last year.

Amnesty says many of the cases are miscarriages of justice.

"Many of the defendants are illiterate and they come from a low social status so often they don't know their legal rights," said Dominique Muller, an Amnesty spokeswoman.

"There's still no real pressure to stop police from torturing people to get confessions and hence to get convictions," she said.

The Chinese Government says its priority is tackling growing levels of serious crime, and the death penalty cannot be abolished until crime rates come down.

Mass executions

According to Amnesty, at least 3,000 people were executed in 31 countries across the world last year.

Next to China, Iran had the second-highest tally of executions in 2001, putting to death at least 139 people, Amnesty said.

Saudi Arabia was third with 79 executions, and the United States followed, having put 66 people to death, the organisation said.

However, there has also been progress in the campaign to eliminate the use of the death penalty, Amnesty said, with an average of three countries a year abolishing capital punishment over the past three years.

Mario Marazziti, a spokesman for Together Against the Death Penalty, said international day was meant to remind the world that "the death penalty is an instrument of the past, like torture and slavery".

China capital crimes

• Violent crime

• Drugs offences

• Separatism

• Aiding Tibet border crossings

• Bribery

• Pimping

• Embezzlement

• Tax fraud

• Insurance fraud

• Stealing petrol

• Selling harmful foodstuffs

• Disrupting the stock market

BBC News

November 30, 2002

International Day Against Death Penalty Blazes Forth Message!

The 1st-ever World Day Against the Death Penalty blazed forth its message with Rome's Coliseum and other monuments around the globe bathed in light displays condemning what organizers call a practice from the past like torture and slavery.

Some 60 "Cities for Life" illuminated leading public monuments in the most concerted campaign yet against capital punishment.

Cities as far apart as Stockholm and Santiago marked the new annual event to draw attention to 3,048 people known to have been executed in 31 countries last year.

China is by far the most prolific practitioner, with a reported 2,468 people put to death and 4,015 handed death sentences in 2001, according to Amnesty International.

Since the United States re-introduced capital punishment in 1976, 810 people have been executed there.

Death penalty opponents can point to continued progress in their campaign, with a total of 111 countries abolishing it in law or in practice.

 Saturday's international demonstration was organized by human rights groups and Italy's Roman Catholic Sant'Egidio lay community.

Inspired by Rome, which lights up the Coliseum each time a country abolishes capital punishment, organizers asked major world cities to dress a major monument in light on November 30.

The Coliseum -- the amphitheater of ancient Rome that stands in the heart of the Italian capital -- is lit "each time a human life is saved or a country abolishes the death penalty," said Stefania Tallei of the organizing committee.

"A great upturned thumb, the symbol of life, is projected on to the Coliseum facade," she explained.

The thumbs-down was the sign which Roman emperors gave at Coliseum spectaculars to indicate a beaten gladiator should be given the death-blow. The thumbs-up meant his life was spared.

November 30 was chosen because it was on this day in 1786 that the Duchy of Tuscany became the 1st state to abolish capital punishment.

The Tuscan regional government conferred its highest honor, the Silver Banner, Saturday on Oklahoma Senator Angela Monson for her abolition campaign, and on Afghanistan's former deputy prime minister Sima Samar, now chairman of his country's human rights commission.

Venice illuminated its historic Grand Ducal Palace. In Geneva, St Peter's Cathedral overlooking the city was to remain floodlit for 3 days.

Amsterdam illuminated its statue of Mahatma Gandhi, Indian patriot and pacifist campaigner against British rule.

Brussels turned the spotlight on its celebrated Atomium, a landmark dating from the 1958 World Fair comprising giant spheres reaching up to a combined height of 102 meters (330 feet).

In France, mayors representing both left-wing and right-wing parties supported a French initiative under the title: "Together against the death penalty," and some 20 cities including Paris, Grenoble, Lyon, Rennes and Lille took part.

American anti-death penalty groups did not participate directly but nevertheless backed a movement they see as principally directed by Europeans, said David Elliot of the US National Coalition against the Death Penalty.

The new event was meant to remind the world that "the death penalty is an instrument of the past, like torture and slavery", said Sant'Egidio spokesman Mario Marazziti.

The Community of Sant'Egidio is an association of lay people who believe in solidarity with the poor and dialogue to resolve conflict.

There are signs that the fight for abolition is being won.

Of 195 countries monitored by Amnesty International and the US-based Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC), 111 countries have abolished executions, the latest being Chile and Turkey.

In Europe, where the vast majority have abolished the death penalty, it is still nevertheless on the statute book for peacetime crimes in Albania and Russia.

Latin America is also a largely death penalty-free zone, with only Cuba and Guatemala still carrying out executions.

In Africa there is a growing tendency towards abolition, with Angola, vory Coast, Mauritius, Mozambique and South Africa among those to abandon the law in recent years. But in Asia and the Middle East it remains very much in force.

(source: Agence France Presse)

MSJC

World Day Against the Death Penalty - November 30th 2002

Feature, 29/11/2002 Printer friendly format Amnesty International welcomed today the initiatives taken by the Abolition of Death Penalty Diet Members League and Japanese Bar Association to bring the issue of the death penalty to public debate. On 22 November the League issued a report, which outlines two draft bills due to be submitted to the next Diet session beginning in January.

The bills include: � an amendment to the criminal code to change the period to apply for parole � a draft bill to establish a special committee under the cabinet to deal with death penalty issuesAmnesty International calls on the Diet members to urge the government to declare an immediate moratorium on executions.

The organization is particularly concerned that the Japanese government tends to carry out executions in December - a period of parliamentary recess and holidays - to avoid publicity.On the same day, 22 November, the Japan Bar Association submitted a recommendation on the death penalty. The Association mainly recommends:� a declaration of a moratorium on the death penalty and a public debate on the issue of the death penalty � a disclosure to the public of all information on death penalty" The recommendations by the JFBA calling for a moratorium on the death penalty and for an end to the secrecy surrounding the death penalty in Japan are a significant step towards generating a public debate for the abolition of the death penalty in Japan," Amnesty International said.

"We call on the Japanese government to cease all executions, to commute all death sentences and take practical steps towards abolition of the death penalty in law and practice," the international human rights organization added.

"The death penalty is a violation of most basic human right - the right to life. It is an irrevocable act of violence by the state and the risk of executing the innocent can never be eliminated, " Amnesty International stressed.

The death penalty has never been shown to deter crime more effectively than other punishments. It brutalises those involved in the process of executions and the wider society as a whole. Amnesty International also has concerns about the way in which the death penalty is carried out in Japan. "Japan continues to go against the world wide trend towards abolition of the death penalty," Amnesty International said.More than half of the world's countries have abolished the death penalty in law or practice.

 International bodies, including the European Union and the United Nations, have made calls endorsing and promoting the global trend towards abolition of the death penalty.BackgroundExecutions in Japan are arbitrary and are carried out in secret. The Japanese government has repeatedly carried out executions during periods of parliamentary recess, parliamentary elections and holiday periods. Amnesty International believes that the government chooses these periods to avoid debate within parliament and to minimize publicity.Execution is by hanging and there is a trend to carry out more than one execution at the same time.

Executions are carried out in secret and on an arbitrary basis. Under the Code of Criminal Procedure "the death penalty shall be executed under an order from the Minister of Justice" (Article 475). Once an order is given, "such execution shall be carried out without five days" (Article 476).

Between November 1989 and March 1993 two Japanese Ministers of Justice declined to sign execution orders because of their personal opposition to the death penalty. Executions recommenced in March 1993.A number of prisoners on death row have been held in solitary confinement for a decade or more, with limited contact with the outside world.

Prisoners can only meet close relatives and may only correspond with those allowed to meet them. In most cases prisoners under finalized sentence of death are not permitted to receive letters from friends and supporters. Some relatives by adoption have filed law suits alleging that they were prohibited from meeting prisoners under sentence of death.

 The authorities state this practice is justified as it helps to keep the prisoner emotionally "stable".

Prisoners are told less than two hours before execution that they are going to be executed. Families and lawyers are never told in advance of the decision to carry out the execution.

The practice of not informing prisoners until the last hour of their execution deprives them of the opportunity to meet with family for final farewells, and makes it impossible for lawyers to file last-minute appeals.

Most prisoners under sentence of death have been imprisoned for many years and endure considerable mental distress. There are at least 118 people under sentence of death in Japan, some 50 of them have had their sentences upheld by the Supreme Court (or become final in the lower courts) and can be executed at any time. The oldest prisoner is 85 years old and has been under death sentence for some 35 years.

The 30th November 2002 is the first World Day against the Death Penalty. It has been organized by the Italian organization Comunit� di Sant' Egidio, with the endorsement of the World Coalition against the Death Penalty (WCADP), of which Amnesty International is a member.

For further information, contact Sant' Egidio.

Global Coalition Seeks Abolition Of Death Penalty Across World

London, Nov. 30 (NNN) : Marking the first World Day Against the Death Penalty, a coalition of international human rights organisations is calling on countries around the world to abolish capital punishment.

Sixty cities around the world will mark the occasion by illuminating significant landmarks.

The coalition, which has come together under the banner Together Against the Death Penalty, want to bring pressure on nations like China and the United States, where the death penalty is still widely used.

The event was inspired by the city of Rome, which lights up the Colosseum when an execution order is overturned or a country abolishes capital punishment.

Cities taking part include Paris, London, New York, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, as well as Rome and other cities across Italy.

Barcelona will light up its famous cathedral, Santiago plans to illuminate central park, while Belgium will light up its Atomium structure, with a dove of peace on the top.

The coalition chose November 30 as the inaugural date, the anniversary of the first occasion the death penalty was abolished, said to have been in Tuscany, in 1786.

China is one of the main targets of the first World Day Against the Death Penalty. The US has been particularly attacked for its execution of youths.

According to human rights group Amnesty International, China executed more people in the first three months of the campaign which began in May, 2002, than did the rest of the world over the past three years. Although China does not issue precise figures, the number of people executed in the People�s Republic has grown rapidly since it began an anti-crime drive last year.

At least 2,600 people were put to death in China last year alone, according to Amnesty. The group says many of the cases are miscarriages of justice. "Many of the defendants are illiterate and they come from a low social status so often they don�t know their legal rights," said Dominique Muller, an Amnesty spokeswoman.

"There�s still no real pressure to stop police from torturing people to get confessions and hence to get convictions," she said.

The Chinese Government says its priority is tackling growing levels of serious crime, and the death penalty cannot be abolished until crime rates come down.

According to Amnesty, at least 3,000 people were executed in 31 countries across the world last year.

Next to China, Iran had the second-highest tally of executions in 2001, putting to death at least 139 people, Amnesty said. Saudi Arabia was third with 79 executions, and the United States followed, having put 66 people to death, the organisation said.

However, there has also been progress in the campaign to eliminate the use of the death penalty, Amnesty said, with an average of three countries a year abolishing capital punishment over the past three years.

Mario Marazziti, a spokesman for Together Against the Death Penalty, said international day was meant to remind the world that "the death penalty is an instrument of the past, like torture and slavery".

Is Singapore a "city of Life" or a "City of Death"? Singapore actively advocates and campaigns on behalf of the death penalty at the UN Human Rights Commission. It also actively implements the death penalty. Its time for a long overdue change in our mindset to value and appreciate human life. Its time for the people to say NO to the death penalty. Think Centre says NO to death penalty - its inhumane and cruel punishment! 30th Novemeber 2002 is the first-ever World Day Against the Death Penalty, blazed forth its message with Rome's Colosseum and other monuments around the globe bathed in light displays condemning what organizers call a practice from the past like torture and slavery. Its time for Singapore to light-up the darkness - let the lights shine for life!

Sixty "Cities for Life" join World Day Against Death Penalty

Sixty "Cities for Life" will mark the first World Day Against the Death Penalty on Saturday [30th November 2002], constituting the most concerted effort yet to campaign against capital punishment.

Cities as far apart as Stockholm in Sweden and Santiago in Chile will mark the event, designed to highlight the ultimate judicial punishment which is seen by a growing number of countries as inhumane and barbaric.

They will draw attention to the 3,048 people known to have been executed in 31 countries last year, and to more than 5,200 who received death sentences in 68 countries, according to Amnesty International which believes the true figures are much higher.

China, one of a tiny handful of countries responsible for 90 percent of all executions worldwide, said on the eve of the event that it had no plans to abolish the practice. Amnesty recorded more than 2,600 executions in China alone last year.

Foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said China's use of the death penalty remained necessary for public safety.

"If China does not make sure conditions are there, an early abolition of the death penalty may mean turning a blind eye to criminals," Liu said.

Iran, with at least 139 executions, Saudi Arabia, 79, and the United States, with 66, are the other world leaders in execution.

They are the most prolific of the 84 countries still sanctioning and using capital punishment, according to Amnesty 2001 report.

However, opponents of the death penalty can point to continued progress in their campaign, with a total of 111 countries to have abolished it in law or in practice.

On average, three countries a year have been abolishing capital punishment over the past decade.

A total of 76 countries have abolished the penalty for all crimes, while 15 have abolished it for most crimes and 20 others have not carried out an execution in more than 10 years.

Saturday's event has been organised by the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, formed in Rome in May by the Catholic lay community Sant'Egidio with major rights groups like Amnesty International and the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH).

Participating cities include Amsterdam, Antwerp, Barcelona, Brussels, Copenhagen, Dublin, Geneva, London, New York and Paris as well as Italy's main cities.

Inspired by Rome, which lights up the Colosseum each time a country abolishes the death penalty, organisers have asked major world cities to dress a major monument in light on November 30.

Rome also illuminates the Colosseum whenever a capital sentence is overturned, as it did for Safiya Husseini, a Nigerian mother sentenced by an Islamic court to death by stoning in 2000.

Barcelona has agreed to bathe its spectacular cathedral in lights, Santiago will light up a central park and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg will illuminate the interior of a public building.

Belgium's capital Brussels will switch on illuminations at its giant "Atomium" structure and top it with a dove of peace and a multilingual message of support.

The November 30 date was chosen for its symbolic value as it is the anniversary of the world's first abolition of the death penalty, in Tuscany in 1786, according to the Rome based Catholic lay community.

The day is meant to remind the world that "the death penalty is an instrument of the past, like torture and slavery", said its spokesman Mario Marazziti.

Marazziti said that the move had been sponsored by grassroots religious and secular rights organisations like his because of the difficulty in convincing the United Nations to proclaim such a day given that the United States is one of the countries using capital punishment.

.

WORLD DAY AGAINST DEATH PENALTY and AIDS 

These last weeks of the 2002 open with two appointments in defence of life: November 30th is the First World Day against the death penalty and the day after, December 1st, is the World Day against AIDS. 

In May the World Coalition against the death penalty (WCADP) was formed, initiated by the Community of Sant�Egidio and other associations; among its first proposals there was the one to indicate a day as the World Day against the death penalty. November 30th was proposed, the day the Grand Ducat of Tuscany abolished the death penalty in 1786, the first State in the world to do so. 

On that day many cities � Rome, New York, Florence, Venice, Naples, Barcelona, Bruxelles, Wien, Copenhagen, Antwerp � will light their most famous monuments to say no to the death penalty and become �Cities for Life�. 

Tribune de Gen�ve

 2 d�cembre 2002

La cath�drale en vert contre la peine de mort

Samedi 30 novembre a �t� annonc�e "Journ�e mondiale contre la peine de mort" par une coalition de villes, d'associations et d'organisations internationales � laquelle s'est jointe Gen�ve. La date de cette journ�e co�ncide avec la premi�re abolition de la peine de mort dans un Etat, le duch� de Toscane, en 1797. Depuis, d'autres ont suivi, surtout ces trente derni�res ann�es. Pourtant, en 2001, plus de 4700 ex�cutions ont eu lieu dans le monde, dont les 74% en Chine.

Pour marquer de mani�re symbolique l'�v�nement, la cath�drale Saint-Pierre a �t� illumin�e de vert, couleur de l'espoir, de jeudi � dimanche. Le projet, lanc� par la Ville de Rome, s'est r�pandu jusqu'� New York o� le maire, Michael Bloomberg, a d�cid� que l'int�rieur du New York City Convention resterait symboliquement allum�. Cette journ�e s'inscrit dans le cadre d'une prise de conscience, notamment en Turquie o� la peine capitale a r�cemment �t� abolie.

Depuis 1998, plus de 4 millions de signatures ont �t� recueillies en faveur de l'abolition, dont 3,4 millions en Europe. Dans cette optique de progression, le Conseil de l'Europe pr�voit d'autres manifestations et campagnes de sensibilisation du genre. 

De. K.

World Day Against the Death Penalty

What do China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia have in common with the US? They all regularly execute their own citizens! Today (30NOV) is the first World Day Against the Death Penalty.

According to Amnesty, at least 3,000 people were executed in 31 countries across the world last year. Next to China, Iran had the second-highest tally of executions in 2001, putting to death at least 139 people, Amnesty said. Saudi Arabia was third with 79 executions, and the United States followed, having put 66 people to death, the organisation said. However, there has also been progress in the campaign to eliminate the use of the death penalty, Amnesty said, with an average of three countries a year abolishing capital punishment over the past three years. Mario Marazziti, a spokesman for Together Against the Death Penalty, said international day was meant to remind the world that "the death penalty is an instrument of the past, like torture and slavery".

It is time for the US to stop acting like a third world country and eliminate the death penalty.

DAY AGAINST DEATH PENALTY MARKED

 Colosseum, other monuments in 60 cities illuminated.

 Rome,  The first ever Wordl Day Against the death penalty blazed for its messages Saturday with Rome�s Colosseum and other monuments around the globe bathed in light displays condemning what organizers call a practice from the past like torture and slavery.

Some 60 �Cities for Life2 illuminated leading public monuments in the most concerted campaign yest against capital punishment.

Cities as far apart as Stockholm and Santiago, marked the new annual event to draw attention to 3,043 people known to have been executed in 31 countries last year.

China is by far the most prolific practitioner, with a reported 2,468 people put to death and 4,015 handed death sentences in 2001, according to Amnesty International.

Since the United States reintroduced capital punishment in 1976, 810 people have been executed there.

Death penalty opponents can point to continued progress in their campaign, with a total of 111 countries abolishing I t in law or in practice.

Saturday�s international demonstration was organized by human rights groups and Italy�s Roman Catholic Sant�Egidio lay community.

Inspired by Rome, which lights up the Colosseum each time a country abolishes capital punishment, organizers asked mayor world cities to dress a major monument in light Saturday.

The Colosseum � the amphitheater of ancient  Rome that stands in the heart of the Italian capital � is lit �each time a human life is saved or a country abolishes the death penalty� said Stefania Tallei of the organizing committee.  �A great upturned thumb, the symbol of life, is projected on to the Colosseum fa�ade� she explained. The thumbs down was the sign which Roman emperors gave ar Colosseum spectaculars to indicate a beaten gladiator should be given the death blow. The thumbs up meant his life was spared.

Nov. 30 was chosen because it was on this day  in 1786 that the Duchy of Tuscany became the first state to abolish capital punishment.

The Tuscan regional government conferred its highest honor, the Silver Banner, Saturday on Oklahoma Sen. Angela Monson for her abolition campaign, and on Afghanistan�s former deputy Prime Minister Sima Samar, now chairman of his country�s human rights commission.

Venice illuminated its historic Grand Ducal Palace. In Geneva St. Peter�s Cathedral overlooking the city was to remain floodlit for three days.

Amsterdam illuminated its statue of Mahatma Gandhi, Indian patriot and pacifist campaigner against British rule. Brussels turned the spotlight on its celebrated Atomium, a landmark dating from the 1958 World Fair, comprising giant spheres reaching up to a combined height of 102 meters.

In France, mayors representing both left wing and right wing parties supported a French initiative under the title: �Together against the death penalty and some 20 cities, including Paris, Grenoble, Kyon, Rennes and Lille took part.