Death can never be a penalty. It’s the end of one’s life. Why do we kill people who kill people to tell people that killing people is bad?! India has an opportunity! Vote for a global moratorium on death penalty at the UN in October 2007 Sign the petition calling upon the government to vote for a global moratorium Join the hundreds of initiatives worldwide

Why oppose death penalty ?

	The right to life is inalienable: no authority can decide to kill a human being.
	Like torture, an execution constitutes an extreme physical and mental assault on an individual. The physical pain caused by the action of killing a human being cannot be quantified.
	Miscarriages of justice are unavoidable. However, the death penalty is irrevocable and can be inflicted on the innocent.
	It has never been shown to deter crimes more effectively than other punishments.

	It is an act of revenge which essentially legitimises violence by the state.
	The death penalty is discriminatory and is often used disproportionately against the poor, the mentally ill, minorities, and members of racial, ethnic and religious communities.
	The death penalty sends a message that a human being can become worthless and is beyond redemption, and that it is acceptable to kill in certain circumstances. Governments should protect human life, not take it.
	The death penalty is overwhelmingly used after unfair trials and often inflicted upon individuals forced to 'confess' to their alleged crimes.
	International law favours universal abolition and encourages states to abolish the death penalty.

What is the global trend against death penalty?

	128 countries do not execute people (having abolished the death penalty in law or practice)
	99 of whom have abolished the death penalty in law for all ordinary crimes – the Philippines became the 99th in 2006
	91% of all known executions in 2006 took place in 6 countries: China, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Pakistan and the USA
	69 countries still use the death penalty

Over 50 countries have abolished the death penalty for all crimes since 1990. They include countries in Africa (recent examples include Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Rwanda), the Americas (Canada, Paraguay, Mexico), Asia and the Pacific
(Bhutan. Philippines, Samoa) and Europe and Central Asia (Albania, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey).

India can do it too

India has an opportunity to establish that it will only adapt civilised methods of punishing, by voting in favour of a
resolution at the United Nations General Assembly asking for a global moratorium on the death penalty. The moratorium moved by the European Union would be placed for vote in October 2007.

What can you do?

	Help spread the word through your forums, clubs, email groups, blogs, etc or simply discuss your opinion with your friends, families, colleagues and neighbours;
	Sign the petition
	Send mass petitions from your locality/colleges/schools/ institutions, asking the government to take this opportunity and vote in favour of a global moratorium.
	Or, take a postcard, write your message in support of a global moratorium on death penalty and send it to Prime Minister of India, South Block, Raisina Hill, New Delhi - 110 011.

Join hands with Amnesty International India and strengthen the voice against death penalty.

We can help you with information and materials. Contact
Amnesty International India
Program Office C-1/22
Safdarjung Development Area,
Hauz Khas 110016 New Delhi.
Tel: 011.41642501, 26854763.
Fax: 011.26510202.
campaigns@amnesty.org.in
www.amnesty.org.in

Tell the Prime Minister that you oppose death penalty