EU Policy On The Death Penalty
Royal Danish Embassy
Washington, DC
EU Presidency
Chairman Gerald Garrett
Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles
Executive Clemency Section
PO Box 13401
Capital Section
Austin, Texas 78711
File: 27.USA.1
29 July 2002
Dear Chairman Garrett,
The European Union has learnt that Mr. Toronto
Patterson is to be executed in the State of Texas on August 28, 2002. On
behalf of the European Union, Denmark, as current President, together with
Greece, the subsequent President, and the European Commission would like to
make an urgent humanitarian appeal to spare the life of Mr. Patterson.
As stated in the EU memorandum on the Death Penalty,
which has been shared with you on previous occasions (it can also be found
on the web page:
www.eurunion.org/legislat/deathpenalty/eumemorandum.htm), the European
Union opposes 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.
Mr. Patterson was 17 years old at the time of the
crime, for which he has been sentenced to death. The European Union
considers that in those countries, which have not yet abolished the death
penalty, this penalty should not be imposed on persons under the age of 18
at the time of the crime.
The EU strongly believes that the execution of juvenile offenders
is contrary to widely accepted human rights norms and the minimum standards of
human rights set forth by the United Nations. A significant number of treaties,
including treaties signed and ratified by the United States, prohibit such executions,
specifically the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the
American Convention on Human Rights. Article 6 of the ICCPR – to which the
United States is a party – explicitly forbids the execution of juvenile offenders.
We therefore respectfully urge you, Chairman, as we have
also urged the Governor of Texas, to take these
factors into account and to exercise all the powers vested in your office to grant
Mr. Patterson relief from the death penalty.
Sincerely,
|
Ulrik Federspiel
|
Elefthenos Anghelopoulos
|
Gérard Depayre
|
|
Ambassador of Denmark
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Chargé d'affaires, a.i.
Embassy of Greece
|
Chargé d'affaires, a.i.
Delegation of the European Commission
|
Danish Presidency July 25, 2002 statement at Organization for Security and
Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Permanent Council meeting.
Royal Danish Embassy
3200 Whitehaven Street, NW
Washington, DC 20008-3683
(202) 234-4300 Fax (202) 328-1470
E-mail: wasamb@um.dk
Website: http://www.denmarkemb.org/
