EU Policy On The Death Penalty
EU Presidency
EMBASSY OF GREECE
Washington, DC
31 January 2003
The Honorable Rick Perry
Governor of Texas
State Capital
Office of the Governor
PO Box 12428
Austin, TX 78711
Dear Governor Perry,
On behalf of the European Union,
Greece as its current president,
together with Italy, its subsequent prsident, and the European Commission, I am
copying to you un urgent humanitarian appeal that we have made to the Texas Board
of Pardons and Paroles to spare the life of John (Jackie) Elliott who has been
sentenced to death and is scheduled to be executed in February 4, 2003. We recognize
that, under the Texas constitution, the Governor does not have the power to commute
a death sentence unless on the recommendation of the Board of Pardons and Paroles,
but nevertheless we believe that you should be aware of our stance on the death
penalty and our particular concerns about the case of John (Jackie) Elliott.
As stated in
the EU Memorandum on the Death Penalty (http://www.eurunion.org/legislat/DeathPenalty/eumemorandum.htm),
which has been shared with you, the European Union is opposed to the death penalty
in all cases and accordingly aims at its universal abolition, seeking a global
moratorium on the death penalty as a first step.
Where the death penalty is retained,
we urge states to observe minimum standards, which include imposing capital punishment
only where the guilt of the person charged is based upon clear and convincing
evidence leaving no room for an alternative explanation of the facts; furthermore,
a death sentence should not be carried out where an individual complaint is being
considered under international procedures. We understand that John (Jackie) Elliott
has made an application for new DNA testing to be carried out in his case, which
may cast some doubt on the safety of his original conviction, and we have also
learnt that he has made an application to the Inter-American Commission on Human
Rights, which has not yet been decided.
We are therefore respectfully
urging the Board of Pardons and Paroles to take all the aforementioned factors
into account and to commute Mr. Elliott’s sentence to any penalty other than capital
punishment in accordance with international law.
Sincerely,
| George Savvaides |
Ferdinando Salleo |
Gunter Burghardt |
| Ambassador
of Greece |
Ambassador
of Italy |
Ambassador
Head of the Delegation of the European Commission
|
Letter to Texas Board of Pardons &
Paroles
Embassy of Greece
2221 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008
(202) 939-5800 Fax (202) 939-5824
E-mail: greece@greekembassy.org
Website: http://www.greekembassy.org/Embassy/content/en/Root.aspx
