EU Policy On The Death Penalty
EMBASSY OF GREECE
Washington, DC
EU Presidency
23 May, 2003
Hon. Bob Riley
Governor of Alabama
State Capitol
600 Dexter Avenue
Montgomery, Alabama 36130
Dear Mr. Governor,
On behalf of the European Union,
Greece, as current President
together with Italy, its subsequent President, and the European Commission,
would like to convey to you an urgent
humanitarian appeal to spare the life of Glenn Holladay, who has been
sentenced to death and is scheduled to be executed on May 29,
2003.
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.
We
understand that Mr. Holladay is reported to be suffering from a mental
disorder. He has a long history indicating mental deficits, while extensive
documentation by state agencies, schools and physicians delineates Mr.
Holladay’s mental retardation. The EU considers that the execution of people
with mental disorders is contrary to human dignity and to international
human rights instruments such as the
United Nations Economic and Social Council 1984/50
Resolution on the safeguards for the protection of persons facing the death
penalty and
Resolution 2003/67 adopted at the last
session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, which specifically
urges all states that still maintain the death penalty “not to impose the
death penalty on a person suffering from any form of mental disorder or to
execute any such person.”
We therefore respectfully urge you, Mr. Governor, to take all the
aforementioned factors into account and to exercise all powers vested in
your office to commute Mr. Holladay’s sentence to any penalty other than
capital punishment, in accordance with international law.
Sincerely,
Sergio Vento
Ambassador of Italy
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
