Jurists brand death penalty as “horrendous and appalling”

The European commission organized Thursday at the premises of the Italian Embassy in Algiers a round-table bringing together a host of jurists, academics and media people around the theme: “Abolition of the death penalty at the national, regional and international levels”.

The purpose of the Round Table was to review developments on the death penalty and to identify legal and political challenges and opportunities for the coming years. 

The meeting covered country, regional and thematic questions. Particular attention was given to identifying strategic priorities and to exploring the complementary roles of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), intergovernmental organisations (IGOs), and governments in achieving progress towards worldwide abolition. 

All the Algerian jurists in attendance dwelt on the security situation in Algeria in the light of the national tragedy of the nineties spawned by terrorist violence which beset the country as well on the recent phenomenon of child abduction but agreed to say that the death sentence against convicted criminals should be legally scrapped for a set of humanist reasons.

They labeled the death penalty as “hideous and appalling” stressing that its swift formal abolition should be enshrined in the laws of all countries worldwide including Algeria which is yet to officially decide on this vexed issue.

They proposed instead of the death penalty, lengthy prison terms, even jail for life, for all those criminals found guilty of grave offenses by justice.

Nowadays, the scales are tipping in favour of an emerging international norm which defines the death penalty as an outmoded, cruel and inhuman punishment, they pointed out.