Chong De-Shu was sentenced to death at the beginning of December 2006. The execution order has been already signed by the Minister of Justice Shi Mao-Lin. From now on, Chong could be put to death at any moment, also because the Supreme Court has recently established that capital penalty is not against the Country’s constitutional principles. Nevertheless, the Head of State Chen Shui-Bian, after being elected, declared his purpose to abolish death penalty. Indeed, after no execution was carried out during 2006, Taiwan seemed to walk gradually along the path of its removal. If Chong De-Shu was put to death, then the commitment of the highest authorities of the Country towards the elimination of death penalty from Taipei’s jurisdictional system would be fading away.
The appeal to save Chong De-Shu
The Community of Sant’Egidio urges everybody to share its appeal aiming to spare Chong’s life from the execution, sending the following statement to the Authorities of the Republic of China (Taiwan), by e-mail.
Urgent appeal brought out by the Community of Sant’Egidio to save the life of Chong De-Shu, sentenced to death
Excellency
�We are writing to express our deep concern over the possible pending execution of Mr. Chong De-Shu, even though Your Country seemed to go along the path of the abolition of death penalty from his own criminal laws, also thanks to Your commitment solemnly taken afterwards Your nomination to the highest Authority of the Country, and after that no execution was carried out during 2006 year.
We urge You to intervene on his behalf to prevent this cruel and inhuman punishment from being meted out against him. We implore You to ensure that this cruel and inhuman sentence is not executed.
