Doc. 8312 2nd edition revised

16 March 1999

Death penalty in the United States

Written Declaration No. 288

2nd edition, originally tabled on 28 January 1999

This written declaration reflects only the views of the signatories

1.       It is with regret we have learnt of the decision taken by the US judicial authorities in the State of Oklahoma to execute Mr Sean Sellers, on 4 February next, 13 years after he was sentenced to death and following lengthy criminal proceedings.

2.       Accordingly, we would like to emphasise that:

- the abolition of capital punishment remains one of the keystones of the Council of Europe, where the United States enjoys observer status;

- it is the firm belief of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (Resolutions 1246, 1044 of 1994, and 1097 of 1996), that the death penalty is an unacceptable form of punishment in a fair and civilised penal system.

3.       Quite apart from the general principle involved here, the current situation of
Mr Sellers, who has been on death-row for 13 years for crimes committed at the age of 16, and who appears to be suffering from serious mental illness, deserves special attention.

4.       Accordingly, we would urge the American authorities to grant a pardon to the prisoner in question.

5.       We would also ask all those members of the Council of Europe who have not yet done so to abolish capital punishment once and for all and to ratify Protocol No. 6 of the European Convention of Human Rights by the end of the year, in order to allow an even more fitting commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Council of Europe.

Signed (see overleaf)

Signed1:

Martins, Portugal, SOC

Aguiar, Portugal, EPP/CD

Akçali, Turkey, EDG

Arnau, Spain, SOC

Briane, France, EPP/CD

Carvalho, Portugal, UEL

Christodoulides, Cyprus, UEL

De Puig, Spain, SOC

Demetriou, Cyprus, EPP/CD

Dhaille, France, SOC

Dias, Portugal, SOC

Diaz de Mera, Spain, EPP/CD

Dreyfus-Schmidt, France, SOC

Durrieu, France, SOC

Evin, France, SOC

Jirousová, Czech Republic, UEL

Judd, United Kingdom, SOC

Laakso, Finland, UEL

Legendre, France, EDG

Lemoine, France, SOC

Lengagne, France, SOC

Loule, Greece, UEL

Mattéi, France, LDR

Mikaelsson, Sweden, UEL

Mitterrand, France, SOC

Mota Amaral, Portugal, EPP/CD

Pereira Marques, Portugal, SOC

Ramirez Péry, Spain, EPP/CD

Roseta, Portugal, EPP/CD

Roudy, France, SOC

Luis, Portugal, SOC

Vis, United Kingdom, SOC

Squarcialupi, Italy, SOC

Lekberg, Sweden, SOC

Kurykin, Ukraine, NR

Beaufays, Belgium, EPP/CD

Alis Font, Andorra, NR

Grenfell, United Kingdom, SOC

_______________________________

Total:       38

1        SOC: Socialist Group

LDR: Liberal, Democratic and Reformers Group