craftsman
Jan 4, 2007, 20:02
An article on a Korean news site entitled
Japan, South Korea Maintain Death Penalty:U.S. only other democratic nation with capital punishment (http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?at_code=383737) had some details about the Christmas executions in Japan.
Christmas Day was chosen to execute the 4 elderly Japanese men because:
According to the regulation of penal code section 71, clause 2, "the execution cannot take place on a national holiday, Saturday, Sunday, or between Dec. 31-Jan. 2
And...
the Justice Ministry had chosen the day because the Diet was not in session
It also tells us that in 2006 Japan sentenced 46 people to death, bringing the present death-row population to 96. And that 2006 was the 14th year in a row that at least one Japanese execution had been carried out.
There are other threads which give plenty of details of the conditions of death row in Japan.
Another article today explains how the execution debacle of Saddam Hussain has led to a new resolve from Italy.
Italy pushes for worldwide death penalty ban (http://www.channel4.com/news/content/news-storypage.jsp?id=32145414)
Italy is campaigning for a worldwide moratorium on the death penalty following protests and cross-party disgust at the way in which former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was executed.
Prime Minister Romano Prodi said he would push the UN for a "universal moratorium" on capital punishment.
Italy has just taken up a temporary Security Council seat but it hopes to rally the 85 UN countries which signed a non-binding declaration in December against the death penalty in pushing for a ban.
Would this Italian initiative work? My personal opinion is that the death penalty reflects a morality so removed from humanity that it ceases to be human. But you don't need to think the same to be sick to your stomach by all of the hangings over the holiday period.
Japan, South Korea Maintain Death Penalty:U.S. only other democratic nation with capital punishment (http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?at_code=383737) had some details about the Christmas executions in Japan.
Christmas Day was chosen to execute the 4 elderly Japanese men because:
According to the regulation of penal code section 71, clause 2, "the execution cannot take place on a national holiday, Saturday, Sunday, or between Dec. 31-Jan. 2
And...
the Justice Ministry had chosen the day because the Diet was not in session
It also tells us that in 2006 Japan sentenced 46 people to death, bringing the present death-row population to 96. And that 2006 was the 14th year in a row that at least one Japanese execution had been carried out.
There are other threads which give plenty of details of the conditions of death row in Japan.
Another article today explains how the execution debacle of Saddam Hussain has led to a new resolve from Italy.
Italy pushes for worldwide death penalty ban (http://www.channel4.com/news/content/news-storypage.jsp?id=32145414)
Italy is campaigning for a worldwide moratorium on the death penalty following protests and cross-party disgust at the way in which former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was executed.
Prime Minister Romano Prodi said he would push the UN for a "universal moratorium" on capital punishment.
Italy has just taken up a temporary Security Council seat but it hopes to rally the 85 UN countries which signed a non-binding declaration in December against the death penalty in pushing for a ban.
Would this Italian initiative work? My personal opinion is that the death penalty reflects a morality so removed from humanity that it ceases to be human. But you don't need to think the same to be sick to your stomach by all of the hangings over the holiday period.