HANDS OFF CAIN: PRIORITY IS TO CONTAIN THE DEATH PENALTY FOR TERRORISM

October 10, 2016: On World Day against the death penalty, Hands Off Cain sounded the alarm on the rise in the number of executions and death sentences in the name of the war on terrorism.
According to its latest “Report on the Death Penalty Worldwide”, in 2015 at least 100 executions for acts of "terrorism" or violent political crimes were carried out in 12 countries. In Saudi Arabia (at least 2), Bangladesh (4), Chad (10), China (at least 3), Egypt (7), United Arab Emirates (1), Jordan (2), India (1), Iran (at least one), Iraq (at least 30), Pakistan (30) and Somalia (at least 9).
In 2016, to June 30, at least 121 people were executed for acts of "terrorism" in 6 countries: Afghanistan (6), Saudi Arabia (at least 47), Bangladesh (4), Iraq (at least 55), Pakistan (6) and Somalia (at least 3).
In addition, in 2015 and in the first months of 2016, hundreds of death sentences for "terrorist acts" were handed down, though not carried out, in 6 other countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Cameroon, Kuwait, Lebanon and Tunisia.
New anti-terrorism laws that provide for the death penalty have been approved in South Korea, Guyana and Tunisia.
To limit the use of the death penalty for terrorism, the radical association Hands Off Cain is committed for the next three years in a project supported by the European Commission, in three African countries, particularly critical, such as Egypt, Somalia and Tunisia.
The project will be conducted in collaboration with local partners, the Somali Women's Agenda (SWA) in Somalia, the Arab Institute for Human Rights (AIHR) in Tunisia and the Arab Organization for Human Rights (AOHR) in Egypt.
Sergio D'Elia and Elisabetta Zamparutti, Secretary and Treasurer of Hands Off Cain, have said about it: "Emergency situations, such as that of terrorism, are to be fought with more rule of law, and not with his abdication."
"Even in the fight against terrorism - the two radical exponents added - we can not derogate from compliance with the minimum international standards of due process in the context of a strengthening of the protection and respect of human rights, justice and the rule of law."