Newsgroup: it.politica.internazionale
Titolo: [AI]Palestinian Authority (PA): Amnesty International calls on the PA not to resume executions and to end impunity

Speriamo che i Palestinesi accolgano il monito di Amnesty
Saluti
============
30 March 2005
Palestinian Authority (PA): Amnesty International calls on the PA not to
resume executions and to end impunity
Amnesty International is concerned about recent steps taken by the newly
elected President of the Palestinian Authority (PA), Mahmoud 'Abbas, to
resume executions.
According to available information up to 30 Palestinians are currently
detained on death row. Most of them were sentenced to death between 1996 and
2004 for murder or rape and others were convicted of collaborating with
Israeli forces to assassinate Palestinians.
Shortly after his election in January 2005, President 'Abbas submitted the
files of some prisoners on death row to the Grand Mufti, seeking his advice
with a view to ratifying some of the death sentences. The President's
ratification is the last step before executions can be carried out. The
Grand Mufti has reportedly advised President Abbas that in his view some
five prisoners convicted of murder and rape should be executed.
Since the execution in June 2002 of two men convicted of rape and murder,
there has been a de facto moratorium on executions by the PA. Amnesty
International considered this a positive development, in line with a
worldwide trend towards abolition of the death penalty, and is now concerned
at the PA's intention to resume executions.
The moves to resume executions are seemingly intended by the PA to
demonstrate its determination to restore law and order in the West Bank and
the Gaza Strip, where in recent years PA security and law-enforcement
institutions have been largely destroyed or prevented from operating by
Israeli forces.
These moves are occurring as the PA is seeking to re-establish some degree
of control in parts of the Occupied Territories in the context of the
renewed dialogue/negotiations with Israel and the recent truce between
Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups.
Amnesty International has urged President 'Abbas not to ratify any of the
death sentences and to maintain the de facto moratorium on executions. The
organization opposes the death penalty in all cases and considers it as the
ultimate form of cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, and a violation of
the right to life as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Moreover, the death penalty has never been shown to deter crime more
effectively than other punishments.
Amnesty International is also concerned that some of those sentenced to
death were convicted by the State Security Court or by the Military Court,
where trials were grossly unfair and violated the accused's internationally
guaranteed rights. Such trials were conducted by military judges, often in a
summary manner, and were at times held in camera. Many of the accused were
denied the right to choose their defence counsel and to appeal to a higher
and independent court.
In view of the irreversible nature of the death penalty, trials in capital
cases must scrupulously observe all the international standards protecting
the right to a fair trial, including the right to be defended by legal
counsel of one's choice and the right to review by a higher tribunal.
The PA has the right and indeed the duty to bring to justice those
responsible for crimes, but it should do so in conformity with
internationally recognized standards and ensure that all defendants have the
right to a fair trial by an independent court.
As the PA seeks to reassert its authority in parts of the Occupied
Territories, it should give priority to reforming the justice and legal
systems and ensuring that they protect and respect the rights to fair trial
for all. Resuming execution will not contribute to these goals.
Amnesty International also calls on the PA to put an end to the impunity so
far afforded to those responsible for certain crimes, including killings of
Palestinian "collaborators" and Israeli civilians as well as "honour"
killings.
BACKGROUND
The PA has not investigated deliberate killings by Palestinian armed groups
of both Palestinians and Israeli civilians, and family ("honour") killings.
Those responsible for such crimes have continued to enjoy impunity and have
not been brought to justice despite the fact that their identity was often
known, as they had carried out the killings in public or publicly claimed
responsibility for their acts. In recent years al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades
groups have claimed responsibility for most of the killings of Palestinians
whom they alleged had collaborated with Israeli forces. Killings of women by
relatives on grounds of family "honour", and other abuses of women in the
family have also frequently gone unpunished.


E' vero, altrimenti sarebbero allo stesso livello degli israeliani (con i 
loro TK)...
K
-- 
"An army that kills so many children is an army with no restraints, an army
that has lost its moral code." - Gideon Levy