Expressing Regret over Indonesia Executions, Secretary-General Says ‘Death Penalty Has No Place in the Twenty-First Century’

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General expresses deep regret at the executions carried out in Indonesia on 29 April despite numerous calls in the country and internationally for a reprieve.  He again urges the Government to exercise its authority and commute all death sentences.

The Secretary-General reaffirms his belief that the death penalty has no place in the twenty-first century.  This is also the conviction of a growing majority of the international community:  a record 117 States voted in the United Nations General Assembly in December 2014 for a moratorium on the use of the death penalty.  The Secretary-General urges all countries where the death penalty is still in place to join this movement and declare a moratorium on capital punishment with a view towards abolition.