EU Policy On The Death Penalty
Embassy of Italy
EU Presidency
3000 Whitehaven Street
Washington, DC 20008
December 10, 2003
The Honorable Michael Huckabee
Governor of Arkansas
State Capitol
Little Rock, AR 72201
Dear Governor Huckabee,
The European Union has learned that Mr. Charles Singleton is facing imminent
execution in the State of Arkansas. On behalf of the European Union, Italy, as
current President, together with
Ireland, the subsequent President, and the European Commission would like to make
an urgent humanitarian appeal to spare the life of Mr. Charles Singleton.
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 (http://www.eurunion.org/legislat/DeathPenalty/eumemorandum.htm),
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.
The European Union considers that in those countries, which have not yet abolished
the death penalty, capital punishment should not be imposed on persons suffering
from a mental disorder.Mr. Singleton exhibits severe psychiatric problems and
has apparently suffered from this mental illness for many years. Furthermore,
the EU has been informed that Mr. Singleton has been involuntarily medicated since
1997. Indeed, on February 10, 2003, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals held that
the State of Arkansas can continue to medicate Mr. Singleton so that he is sane
at the time of his execution
The EU
strongly believes that the execution of persons suffering from a mental
disorder is contrary to widely accepted human rights norms and in
contradiction of the minimum standards of human rights set forth in several
international human rights instruments. Among them are
United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
Resolution 1989/64 of 24 May 1989 on the implementation of the
safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the death
penalty as well as
Resolution 2003/67 adopted at the last
session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. This resolution
specifically urges all states still maintaining the death penalty “not to
impose 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 these factors into
consideration and to exercise all the powers vested in your office to grant
Mr. Singleton relief from the death penalty.
Sincerely,
Sergio Vento
Ambassador of Italy |
Noel Fahey
Ambassador of Ireland |
Gérard Depayre
Deputy Head of the European Commission Delegation |
Letter to Arkansas Post-Prison Transfer Board.
Embassy of Italy
3000 Whitehaven Street
Washington, DC 20008
(202) 412-6400 Fax (202) 518-2154
E-mail:
stampa@itwash.org
Website: http://www.italyemb.org/
