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134 nations drop death penalty; 62 still have it

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  • 134 nations drop death penalty; 62 still have it

    134 nations drop death penalty; 62 still have it


    UNITED NATIONS, Dec 3 (Reuters) - A total of 134 countries have given
    up capital punishment, 10 more than had done so at the start of 2003,
    a campaigner against capital punishment reported on Friday.

    Of the total, 81 have abolished the death penalty completely, 14 have
    abolished it for ordinary crimes, one -- Russia -- has pledged to
    abolish it, and six are observing moratoriums, the Rome-based
    organization Hands Off Cain said.

    Another 32 countries allow capital punishment but have in effect
    abolished it by not carrying out an execution for at least the past 10
    years, the group said.

    Since the start of 2003, Benin, Ghana, Malawi and Morocco had in
    effect abolished the practice by not executing anyone for at least 10
    years while Kazakhstan and Tajikistan had put in place a legal
    moratorium on the practice, it said.

    Another four countries -- Bhutan, Samoa, Bosnia and Armenia -- either
    abolished the death penalty or tightened an existing partial ban since
    the start of last year, the group reported at a presentation at
    U.N. headquarters.

    In all, 62 countries retain the death penalty and in 2003 put to death
    at least 5,523 individuals, the group said.

    One country alone, China, executed at least 5,000 people last year
    while Iran put to death at least 154 and Iraq had executed at least
    113 people by April 9, 2003, when the U.S.-led occupation suspended
    the death penalty, it said.



    12/03/04 18:56 ET
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