Despite large-scale success by activists and civil society groups in encouraging the universal abolition of the death penalty, 55 countries have retained the legality of capital punishment in both law and practice. This made the NGO side event, convened by ‘Ensemble Contre la Peine de Mort’ (ECPM) on the 22nd of September, all the more apt, particularly in light of Iran’s decision to sentence two LGBTQ activists (Zahra Seddiqi Hamedani and Elham Choubdar) to death earlier this month.
Although 110 states have now abolished the death penalty altogether, the right to life is still not enjoyeddespite enshrining several international human rights conventions, principally Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The event sought to highlight both the successes and challenges faced by ECPM and the movement more generally, as well as the advocacy work it does through its widely attended annual World Congress Against the Death Penalty, an international event that brings together abolitionist actors from all five continents. In terms of successes, the ECPM has done well to garner international support from governments and grassroots organizations alike to support their mandate and bring the issue closer to the arena of high politics. Nonetheless, the movement faces a political problem that still has much to do with convincing those states supporting capital punishment to understand that the death penalty is, firstly, not a deterrent and is increasingly considered a practice of torture.
Notable among the panellists were the Deputy Permanent Representatives of Germany (H.E. Mr. Hans Peter Jugel) and France (H.E. Mr. Jerome Bonnafont) to the United Nations (U.N.) in Geneva and the Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the U.N. in Geneva H.E. Mrs. Lotte Knudsen.
During the event, attention was brought to the ECPM’s 8th World Congress which will be held in Berlin later this year from the 15th to 18th of November under the high patronage of the German Federal Foreign Minister and the co-sponsorship of the EU, France, and Switzerland. The World Congress will introduce two new focuses for ECPM, specifically to breathe new life into the campaign. Firstly, there will be a move to incorporate youth actors and civil society groups into the movement. As the abolitionist movement has its roots in the early 20th Century, it must be both sustainable and dynamic. Therefore, withstand the rising tide of xenophobic nationalist and populist movements across Europe and elsewhere. While the panel made clear that there is much hope on their behalf that grassroots pressure can influence states who have entrenched traditions of capital punishment. The Conference’s focus on youth will be reflected by allowing 50 young abolitionist leaders, trained and committed in 6 retentionist countries, to speak at the event.
Secondly, the Executive Director of ECPM, Mr. Raphael Chenuil-Hazan, emphasized his ambition to utilize culture in the fight against capital punishment. This will mainly be through creating and releasing films highlighting the injustice and misuse of the death penalty to reach a broader audience. The focus on culture as an influencing strategy was first introduced at the 6th World Congress in 2016, showcasing multiple documentaries and art exhibitions to help spread abolitionist ideas to those outside the movement.
In representation of France, H.E. Mr. Bonnafont reminded us that President Emmanuel Macron’s administration is deeply committed to the universal abolition of the death penalty. Even though 40 countries have either de jure or de facto abolished capital punishment, many others still use this practice, some of the biggest among them. In a context where the world is engaging in renewed conflicts and tensions, as well as in populists and nationalist movements that resort to extremist ideologies, the involvement of the youth in the struggle for abolition is fundamental.
Worldwide there are more than 28.000 people on death row. In addition, there has been an increase in known executions, which do not include those carried out in countries like China. The death penalty does not address the core reasons for crime. However, it is widely recognized that the death penalty is a strong indicator of a country’s respect for the rule of law. H.E. Mrs. Knudsen said that the European Union is a resolution to achieve the universal abolition of the death penalty. In that context, the World Congress is not a mere event but a manifestation of a global movement to eliminate the death penalty. With this, the abolitionist movement is growing stronger every day.
Also among the panelists was Sabrina Van Tassell, the director of the documentary State of Texas v. Melissa’. This film tells the story of Melissa Lucio, a Latino woman who was wrongfully sentenced to the death penalty for the murder of her daughter. Her process was riddled with irregularities since there was almost no evidence to support the charges against her. Thankfully, due to the awareness raised by Ms. Van Tassell and her documentary, Ms. Lucio was finally absolved of capital punishment. This case shows two things. First, death row is usually used against minorities who do not have a voice. Second, how the media can aid in the struggle for the abolition of the death penalty, and how films and social media can play a role and eventually help those affected.
After the presentation, there were two questions from the public. One question was about the wave of executions in Iran after the uprising of November 2019 and what efforts are being made to stop this from happening again. Both representatives of France and Germany expressed their concerns and awareness of this issue, as well as their support for the victims and the people demonstrating. There has been an upsurge of repression in Iran, which is why creating safe spaces for civil society is necessary.
To conclude, we wish to thank Ensemble Contre la Peine de Mort’ (ECPM) for hosting this side event on abolition of the Death Penalty. Together with their panellists, Deputy Permanent Representatives of Germany (H.E. Mr. Hans Peter Jugel) and France (H.E. Mr. Jerome Bonnafont) to the United Nations (U.N.) in Geneva, the Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the U.N. in Geneva H.E. Mrs. Lotte Knudsen and Sabrina Van Tassell, the director of the documentary ‘State of Texas v. Melissa’.
