Having Poland’s veto in prospect, Portugal, which heads the EU, has abandoned plans to establish the European Day Against the Death Penalty on 10 October. The decision regarding the Day was supposed to be taken during the session of the EU Justice Council on 18 September 2007. The item was taken off the agenda at the last moment. The Portuguese side decided that a confrontation between Poland and the remaining 26 EU countries is pointless. (20-SEP-07)
Written by Agnieszka Chmielecka
Image by Wikipedia
Source: “Gazeta Wyborcza”, www.onet.pl, www.tvn24.pl
The establishment of such a Day should help the European Union to promote penal systems without the death penalty and convince other countries throughout the world, e.g. the United States, of the need to introduce a worldwide ban or at least a moratorium on applying this punishment. Currently, it is still in force in 55 countries throughout the world.
Arguments presented by Polish diplomats
While explaining their decision, Polish diplomats raised inter alia the argument that part of the Polish society supports the death penalty, as well as that the debate on the death penalty must be combined with a debate on the protection of life, meaning a ban on abortion and euthanasia. Moreover, they stated that there is no need to establish a European Day Against the Death Penalty since we already celebrate an International Day. However, it is likely that the real arguments include: the ongoing election campaign (the majority of the Polish society, similarly to many other European communities, is for the death penalty) as well as the fact that leading politicians from the ruling party – Law and Justice, as they themselves have stated, support the death penalty.
If you are “for” the European Day Against the Death Penalty, sign the letter
In the presence of such arguments from Polish authorities, it must be emphasized that Poland is not a country inhabited only by death penalty supporters. The views of Polish citizens on this issue differ significantly. All those, who wish to openly manifest their opposition to the death penalty and at the same time back the idea of the European Day Against the Death Penalty on 10 October, can sign the letter, which has been appended in two language versions: Polish and English on the Halina Bortnowska blog found under this internet address: www.halinabortnowska.blox.pl
The Justice Minister of Portugal Alberto Costa and EU Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner Franco Frattini have announced that a special conference will be organized concerning the death penalty. This conference is scheduled to be held in Lisbon on 9 October 2007.
The author of the letter, Halina Bortnowska (left), is the Head of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights Council, a member of the Helsinki Committee in Poland and the founder of the VIRIDARIUM Group.
