Comunit� di Sant'Egidio

English - Castellano

Il Colosseo � stato nuovamente illuminato a partire dalle 21.00, per celebrare:

 - L'abolizione della pena capitale in Cile

- La liberazione di Joaquin Jos� Martinez

-          La revisione del processo di John Paul Penry

Sono intervenuti alla cerimonia:

Sakae Menda, liberato dal braccio della morte in Giappone dopo 34 anni;

Joaquin Jos� Martinez, recentemente liberato dal braccio della morte in Florida;

Jos� Antonio Gomez, Ministro della Giustizia del Governo della Repubblica del Cile;

il Sindaco di Roma, Walter Veltroni;

Mario Marazziti della  Comunit� di Sant'Egidio;

Michel Taube, Ensemble contre la peine de mort;

Gigi Proietti.

 20/06/2001

Cile "abolizionista", il Colosseo si illumina

June19th 2001: Sant�Egidio: Colosseum Lights Are Gold: 

• For abolition of the death penalty in Chile;      

• For Joaquin Jose Martinez, who after spending 3 years on death row in Florida, was freed, because he was found not guilty;

• For the decision of US Supreme Court which has overturned the death sentence of Johnny Paul Penry

Tuesday June 19

Colosseum Lights Are Gold for Chile

ROME  - The Roman Colosseum was bathed in golden light Tuesday to celebrate Chile's abolition of capital punishment, reviving the ancient arena's modern-day role as the centerpiece of a campaign against the death penalty.

The landmark arena, once a killing ground for gladiators and wild beasts, became a symbol of international opposition to the death penalty last year. Every time someone in the world was spared execution or a country did away with the death penalty, the white lights that normally illuminate the Colosseum were switched to gold.

The golden lights burned 14 times in 2000, the final time in July to celebrate Uganda's commutation of 16 death sentences. The campaign was revived Tuesday when the lights went on to honor Chile, which recently abolished its death penalty - a bright spot for death penalty foes, who gather this week at an international conference in Strasbourg, France.

The Colosseum campaign's sponsors include the United Nations (news - web sites), the city of Rome, the Vatican (news - web sites), the Rome-based Roman Catholic peace group Sant' Egidio and Amnesty International.

To the dismay of many in Europe, the United States has resumed federal executions, putting to death Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh (news - web sites) eight days ago and executing convicted murderer and drug trafficker Juan Raul Garza on Tuesday.

Like other countries in Western Europe, Italy long ago abolished capital punishment. Italians have staunchly campaigned against the death penalty, adopting the causes of a number of death row prisoners in the United States

mi�rcoles, 20 de junio 2:35 AM

Roma celebra abolici�n de pena de muerte en Chile

ROMA, (AP) - El municipio de Roma ilumin� el Coliseo con luces multicolores la noche del martes para celebrar la reciente abolici�n de la pena de muerte en Chile.

La ceremonia denominada ``El Coliseo enciende la vida'' fue presidida por el ministro de Justicia de Chile, Jos� Antonio G�mez, y el alcalde de Roma, Walter Veltroni.

La municipalidad romana mantiene una campa�a por la abolici�n de la pena capital en todo el mundo, y cada vez que ello ocurre en alg�n pa�s, lo celebra iluminando el hist�rico Coliseo.

La campa�a es respaldada por una serie de organizaciones que se unieron a la celebraci�n de la decisi�n chilena, entre ellas la Comunidad de San Egidio, creada en 1968, y que integran m�s de 40.000 personas que trabajan en obras de caridad en todo el mundo.

El presidente chileno Ricardo Lagos firm� el 28 de mayo la abolici�n de la pena de muerte en Chile, reemplaz�ndola por cadena perpetua con derecho a libertad bajo palabra s�lo despu�s de 40 a�os.

``Agradecemos la presencia del ministro G�mez que fue el art�fice de este paso adelante en Chile'', dijo el portavoz del municipio, Roberto Farina.

``Cada vez que en el mundo se suspende una pena capital, nosotros la festejamos iluminando por toda la noche el Coliseo con luces especiales'', agreg�.

La primera vez que se hizo fue el 12 de diciembre de 1999, luego que Albania elimin� la pena de muerte.