Amnesty International USA Release
In response to the announcement that Dylann Roof was sentenced to death after being convicted in the killing of nine people at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Margaret Huang, executive director of Amnesty International USA issued the following statement:
“We have seen over the course of Dylann Roof’s trial and sentencing the horrific suffering he inflicted and the disgusting racial animus that motivated his actions. However, sentencing him to death is not justice. The death penalty is an ineffective punishment that strips all individuals of their human rights, and has itself embodied racism in the criminal justice system. It will not heal the deep racial wounds that continue to wreak violence in our nation.”
For more than two decades, death sentences and executions have steadily declined in the United States because the punishment is costly, ineffective, and unjust. 2015 saw the fewest executions of any year since the reinstatement of capital punishment in 1976. Today’s sentence is a step in the wrong direction, away from human rights and true justice.
Amnesty International USA opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception as the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. As of today, 140 countries have abolished the death penalty in law or practice. The U.S. was one of only nine countries in the world that carried out executions each year between 2009 and 2013.
This statement can be found online at http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/press-releases/executing-dylann-roof-will-not-bring-justice
ISSUES & COUNTRIES
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Amnesty International is a human rights organization and global movement of more than 10 million people in over 150 countries and territories who campaign for human rights. We are independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion and are funded by individuals like you. We believe acting in solidarity and compassion with people everywhere can change our world for the better.
PODCAST
Listen to Rights Back at You
We introduce you to fascinating people who are making change unstoppable. Hear powerful stories of resistance and solidarity and learn more about how you can take action now for human rights. This series connects the dots and passes the mic to people building a better future now. Together, we unravel the Canada you think you know and challenge the systems that hold back human rights.
NEWS
