EU Policy On The Death Penalty
Royal Danish Embassy
Washington, DC
EU Presidency
Governor Paul E.
Patton
State Capitol
700 Capitol Avenue
Frankfort, KY 40601
27.USA.1
7 October, 2002
Dear Governor Patton,
The European Union has
learnt that Mr. Kevin Stanford is to be executed in the State of Kentucky.
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. Kevin Stanford.
As stated in the EU
memorandum on the Death Penalty (it can 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. Stanford 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, Governor, to take these factors into account and to
exercise all the powers vested in your office to grant Mr. Kevin Stanford
relief from the death penalty in accordance with your statements in the past
expressing support for the abolishment of juvenile death penalty.
Sincerely,
|
Ulrik Federspiel |
Georges Savvaides |
Günter Burghardt |
|
Ambassador of Denmark |
Ambassador of Greece |
Ambassador, Head,
Delegation of the European Commission |
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/
