PRESS CONFERENCE ON EXTRAJUDICIAL, SUMMARY, ARBITRARY EXECUTIONS

Gaining access to countries accused of committing executions without the application of due process or international law posed the biggest challenge to ending those human rights violations, said Philip Alston, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, during a press conference at Headquarters this afternoon.

Of the 25 or more countries he identified as having a problem with extrajudicial execution, few had “acquiesced or offered an invitation” to address the matter, he said.  Those countries included the Russian Federation and China, permanent members of the Security Council, as well as Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, members of the Human Rights Council.

The Human Rights Council members presented an even more problematic issue, he said, “Because [Human Rights] Council members are supposed to have said, ‘we cooperate fully with the Council as a part of being elected’.”

He noted that “various people are saying this is a system of you, Northern Rapporteurs, telling us, developing countries, what we have a right to do”.  In fact, “In this mandate, which is a traditional right to life, all of my successes have been in developing countries and some of my biggest debates have been in countries like the United States.”

Among the countries he hoped to investigate, he said that Iran, while not the only country to execute juveniles, remained the only one to systematically execute them.  More than 75 juveniles currently sat on death row, and 173 other people had been executed this year for such violations as adultery, unlawful sexual contact and homosexuality.  The Iranian Government had not responded to any of his communications requesting a trip to the nation.

Additionally, in Singapore, more than 400 people had been executed since 1990 due to that country’s mandatory death penalty, which handed down a death sentence to any person carrying even a small amount of illegal drugs.  “These are not the kingpins, not the drug runners making big money; these people are the poor and uneducated mules, who accept very small amounts of money to take big risk”.

Responding to questions, the Rapporteur explained the difference between countries that enforced the death penalty, which was legal under international law, and countries that engaged in extrajudicial executions, a violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.  As long as countries did not execute juveniles and pregnant women -– and gave accused persons access to a fair trial -– they had not violated international law.

He also distinguished between the law and the United Nations position against the death penalty, noting that a debate on a moratorium on it could come before the General Assembly as early as next week.

Regarding his planned survey visit to the United States next year, he said an itinerary had not been set, but he planned to discuss the killings of detained Iraqis by United States soldiers and contractors, particularly Blackwater Security Consulting.  The Rapporteur added that he would also take up, with the United Nations Secretariat, the two killings committed by United Nations peacekeepers in Kosovo, who fired into crowds of protestors using old and hardened rubber bullets.

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For information media • not an official record