Pakistan: Mass executions, particularly of juvenile
offenders, serve neither deterrence nor justice – Zeid
GENEVA (11 June 2015) – UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein today expressed deep regret that Pakistan has
executed more than 150 individuals,
including juvenile offenders, since it cancelled its moratorium on the death
penalty in the aftermath of the Peshawar school attack in December.
“I share Pakistan’s outrage and grief at the senseless
killing of 145 people, including 132 schoolchildren, by the Pakistani Taliban
in December last year, but I am very disturbed that the response of the
Pakistani authorities has been to execute just as many people in the six months
that have passed since the massacre,” Zeid said.
“Pakistan has gone from zero to 154 executions in just
six months, making it the third most prolific executioner in the world.”
“Yesterday’s execution of Aftab Bahadur who was only 15
when he was convicted of a murder 23 years ago, and whose claims that he was
tortured into confessing were unheeded, suggests a very troubling approach to
the use of the death penalty in the country. Reports indicate that two
witnesses who testified against Bahadur recanted their testimony, but were
simply ignored,” the High Commissioner said.
More than 8,000 people remain on death row in Pakistan,
of whom approximately 800 were reportedly juveniles at the time of the offense.
The Government initially lifted the moratorium only for terrorism-related
crimes but in March 2015, lifted it generally.
“The idea that mass executions would deter the kinds of
heinous crimes committed in Peshawar in December is deeply flawed and
misguided, and it risks compounding injustice,” Zeid said. “No justice system
in the world is infallible. And even if it were, experience has clearly shown
that the use of the death penalty cannot and does not debunk violent extremist
ideologies. More often than not, the masterminds and financiers of such attacks
remain at large – and may even use examples of possible miscarriages of justice
as tools to recruit more individuals to their twisted causes.”
Zeid acknowledged the massive challenges faced by
Pakistan in combatting terrorism but stressed that the country’s response must
be rooted in international human rights law.
“The best deterrents of serious crimes lie in ensuring
respect for the rule of law and due process; ensuring that those suspected of
such crimes are promptly and properly investigated and prosecuted; and in
ensuring that the authorities engage closely with the communities affected by
such violence,” he said. “Compromising on human rights may foster a sense of
impunity and injustice, potentially leading to increased radicalisation towards
violence and ultimately undermining the effectiveness of counter-terrorism
measures.”
The High Commissioner urged the Government of Pakistan to
reintroduce its moratorium on the death penalty.
ENDS
For more information and media requests, please contact
please contact Ravina Shamdasani (+41 22 917 9169 / rshamdasani@ohchr.org) or
Cécile Pouilly (+41 22 917 9310 / cpouilly@ohchr.org)
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