Forty death row inmates might be executed
2010/05/29 13:42:59
The Constitutional Court on Friday rejected an application for a constitutional interpretation submitted by a group advocating the end of the death penalty, paving the way for the execution of the 40 convicts on death row. The first ones could be killed as soon as next week after four executions took place in late April -- the first since December 2005.
The Judicial Yuan called a press conference later Friday to explain why the petition was not accepted.
The following are excerpts from local media coverage of the issue:
The Liberty Times:
At a seminar with Chiayi district prosecutors Friday, Minister of Justice Tseng Yung-fu said that there is no set timetable for the executions of the 40 death row prisoners. He added, however, that those who had committed the most brutal crimes would be a priority.
The Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty, which filed for the constitutional interpretation on behalf of the 40 death row inmates, voiced regret at the Constitutional Court's decision. The group said it will call a news conference next week to explain its position and declare its plans.
Meanwhile, it is worth noting that the Ministry of Justice has started working on a set of regulations on how executions are carried out.
It is widely believed that prisoners sentenced to death will have only one chance to file for a constitutional interpretation, largely reducing the possibility of anti-death penalty groups delaying the process. (May 28, 2010).
United Daily News:
The Constitutional Court confirmed Friday that two death row convicts who did not personally sign a petition to file for a constitutional interpretation could be executed as soon as next week.
The Kaohsiung District Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation into alleged forgery.
The Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty said that the way the death penalty is carried out in Taiwan violates two international covenants President Ma Ying-jeou signed last year.
The alliance said the Constitutional Court's decision was politically motivated and purposely timed ahead of the year-end mayoral elections in five special municipalities.
The court, however, said that carrying out the death penalty does not go against the United Nations covenants because they don't ban the practice of capital punishment in countries that have not already abolished the death penalty when the covenants are enacted. (May 29, 2010).
China Times:
Justice Minister Tseng Yung-fu stressed that there is no set timetable for the execution of the 40 inmates and that the killings will not be carried out simultaneously.
Vice Minister of Justice Chen Shou-huang criticized the anti-death penalty alliance for repeatedly trying to delay the execution of the 40 death row convicts using technical details. "The justice ministry will not allow them to rekindle efforts for a new round of constitutional interpretations based on the same grounds, " he said. (May 29, 2010). (By Flor Wang) enditem/bc
Source:http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail.aspx?ID=201005290006&Type=...
