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International law prohibits the use of the death penalty for crimes committed by people younger than 18, yet some countries continue to execute child offenders or sentence them to death. Although executions of child offenders are few compared to the total number of executions in the world, they represent a complete disregard by the executing states of their commitments under international law, and an affront to all notions of morality and decency when it comes to the protection of children – one of the most vulnerable groups in society. This document describes the use of the death penalty against child offenders worldwide and its prohibition under international law.

• Document type NGO report
• Themes list Juveniles,
• Available languages HALTE À L'EXECUTION DE MINEURS DELINQUANTS!Eliminar la pena de muerte para delincuentes juveniles

This briefing follows the first executions in Indonesia in more than three years. Ayodhya Prasad Chaubey, an Indian national convicted of drug-trafficking in 1994, was executed by firing squad. Two Thai nationals, Saelow Prasert (m) and Namsong Sirilak (f), who had been sentenced to death in the same case, were executed on 1 October 2004. A total of at least 54 people are currently believed to be under sentence of death in Indonesia, 30 of them for drug-related offences. Amnesty International is concerned that these recent developments reflect an increasing willingness by the authorities to use the death penalty to address crime, in particular drug-trafficking. The organization is also concerned about calls to expand the number of crimes for which the death penalty may be imposed.

• Document type NGO report
• Themes list Networks, Statistics, Country/Regional profiles,
• Available languages Indonesian : Indonesia: Urusan tentang pidana mati

The recent extension in parts of Nigeria of the death penalty to areas many consider to be private aspects of life has focused the debate on both the appropriateness of the death penalty in general and on the use of the criminal justice system as a way to regulate sexual behaviour. Amnesty International Believes that the death penalty in its application in Nigeria in particular violates women’’s human rights to access to justice, according to international human rights law and standards, and has a discriminatory effect on women in certain cases and for certain crimes. This becomes especially serious in cases of capital punishment which is severely affecting women from deprived socio-economic backgrounds and remote areas.

• Document type NGO report
• Themes list Women,
• Available languages NIGÉRIA : Les femmes et la peine de mortNigeria : Las mujeres y la pena de muerte en los sistemas penales nigerianos

The report is damning, showing a system of justice which attaches little importance to regional and international instruments for the protection of human rights ratified by Chad. The case was conducted with a haste wholly incompatible with the respect for the right to a fair trial – proceedings exclusively for the prosecution, confessions obtained under torture, refusal to take account of evidence brought by the defence during the investigation, no lawyer present during the investigation stage. This iniquitous trial proves the hypothesis that justice has been manipulated in order to hide the true nature of a crime and the identity of its perpetrators, whilst securing the executions of persons judged undesirable.

• Document type NGO report
• Themes list Fair Trial, Country/Regional profiles,
• Available languages Tchad, Peine de mort: la levée d'un moratoire, entre opportunisme sécuritaire et règlement de compte

Poster for the world day against the death penalty 2003

• Document type Campaigning
• Themes list Trend Towards Abolition

Poster World Day 2003

• Document type Campaigning
• Themes list Trend Towards Abolition
• Available languages Affiche journée mondiale 2003

This article focuses on Lorilei Guillory, the mother of a 6-year-old Iowa boy murdered 11 years ago. Guillory wantsto be allowed to ask jurors for mercy for the man who allegedly molested and killed her child. Judge Al Gray said he will allow Guillory “to testify and ask for mercy if she wishes” during any penalty phase, but prosecutors are appealing the decision ot the Louisiana Supreme Court. Murder Victims’ Families for Reconciliation filed an amicus curiae brief in the Louisiana Supreme Court in support of Lorilei Guillory’s effort to testify in the penalty phase of the trial of the man who murdered her 6 year old son Jeremy and to express her opposition to the execution of her son’s murderer

• Document type Working with...
• Themes list Public debate, Murder Victims' Families, Death Penalty,

A guide for NGOs to use media effectively. This guide explains the importance of media, how to create contacts, how to prepare a media outreach campaign, how to deliver a campaign to the media and how to use available resources to support your media campaign.

• Document type Working with...
• Themes list Networks,

This manual is a resource for those who deliver training and workshops on human rights in prisons. It explores the fundamentals of good prison management, focusing specifically on international standards for the treatment of prisoners and the special needs of vulnerable categories of prisoner.

• Document type Working with...
• Themes list Networks,
• Available languages حقوق بشر و زندانیها اسیب پزیرManuel de formation n°1 Droits humains et détenus vulnérablesManual de Capacitación No. 1 Derechos Humanos y Prisioneros Vulnerables

The objective of these Guidelines is to set forth a national standard of practice for the defense of capital cases in order to ensure high quality legal representation for all persons facing the possible imposition or execution of a death sentence by any jurisdiction. These Guidelines apply from the moment the client is taken into custody and extend to all stages of every case in which the jurisdiction may be entitled to seek the death penalty, including initial and ongoing investigation, pretrial proceedings, trial, post-conviction review, clemency proceedings and any connected litigation.

• Document type Working with...
• Themes list Networks,