World Coalition hands 5 million signatures over to the UN
International standards
The call for a moratorium on executions will be presented to the President of the General Assembly of the United Nations, Mr. Srgian Kerim, on Friday, Nov. 2, at 10.30 am. A delegation of the Community of Sant’Egidio and the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty will deliver more than five million signatures collected worldwide on a petition to the General Assembly calling for a global moratorium on executions.
The delegation led by Mario Marazziti, Spokesperson for the Community of Sant’Egidio, will include, among others, Sister Helen Prejean, leading American advocate of the abolition of the death penalty and the woman behind the movie Dead Man Walking, Yvonne Terlingen, Head of Amnesty International’s UN Office in New York, Renny Cushing, Marie Verzulli and Bill Babbitt from Murder Victims’ Families for Human Rights, an international organization of victims’ family members and family members of the executed, Speedy Rice, lawyer, representative of the National Association of Criminal Defence Lawyers, Elizabeth Zitrin, member of the executive board of Death Penalty Focus.
The delegation will meet the President of the General Assembly. The General Assembly will consider a draft resolution calling for a global moratorium on executions. Angola, Albania, Brazil, Croatia, Gabon, Mexico, the Philippines, Portugal (for the EU) and New Zealand are presenting the text as a cross-regional initiative.
A press conference will be held at 11 am at UNCA CLUB, UN, Room 326,at the Third Floor of UN Headquarters.
In videos released on the eve of the presentation of the Resolution to the Community of Sant’Egidio, Rev. Rowan Williams, Primate of the Church of England (London), Adolfo Perez Esquivel, Nobel Peace Prize laureate (Buenos Aires), Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, President of the Pontifical Council Justice and Peace (Vatican City) and Siti Musdah Muliva, Moslem theologian at the University of Jakarta, will give statements on the death penalty and the campaign for a Moratorium.
Appointments:
UN HEADQUARTERS
UN, 10.30, President’s office
UN, 11 AM, UNCA CLUB , Room 326, Third Floor
Contacts:
Mario Marazziti
Telephone: +39 335 726 3641
Mobile +39 346 850 1247
email/blackberry: m.marazziti@gmail.com
Yvonne Terlingen
Telephone +1212 867 8878 ext 2
Mobile + 1917 406 1185
Fax +1212 370 0183
