Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-11-18-Speech-4-219"
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"en.19991118.11.4-219"2
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"Mr President, we probably do not always feel comfortable in this Parliament, because what is approved is not what we wanted to be approved. However, once again, this Parliament is going to speak to the rest of the world against the death penalty. I therefore feel proud to be here this afternoon and to be able to vote, unanimously, for a condemnation of the death penalty.
The death penalty is barbarous. As other Members have said, it is a terrifying fact that many innocent people have been executed. And I do not understand how anybody can live with that on their conscience.
In reality today’s resolution talks about three specific cases: firstly, the case of José Joaquín Martínez, a Spaniard, in whose trial enormous irregularities have occurred. I have here a copy of a letter which one of the witnesses sent. He is in prison, it is true, but he sent a letter to the court saying that he had heard somebody claiming responsibility for the murder which José Joaquín Martínez is convicted of. With this simple source of doubt, it is impossible to condemn a defendant to death. Therefore we ask in the resolution for a new trial and that under no circumstances the death sentence be passed.
The second case is that of Abu Jamal. There are many reasons to believe that the trial and death sentence on Abu Jamal were motivated by political factors, above all, because he was a leader. For the moment he has been spared. His execution was set for 2 December. We also demand that this death sentence not be carried out.
And we also take up the case of a person who is mentally ill, who was about to be executed and who has been spared. It seems to us an enormous and terrifying cruelty that anybody should consider executing ill people of this type and that people should be kept in prison for 21 years, as is the case with a Canadian who was due to be executed and, half an hour before his execution, had his appeal accepted in court.
This is tremendously cruel and the world cannot accept it. This Parliament must champion the demand for a universal moratorium, if this is not approved now. And to this end we must display our moral authority."@en1
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