APPEAL FOR AN END TO EXECUTIONS OF JUVENILES

To:  General public

In 2007, eleven juveniles (persons under 18 at the time of the crime for which they were sentenced to death) were executed: eight in Iran, two in Saudi Arabia and one in Yemen.

In 2008, in Iran, at least 8 juveniles were executed according to Amnesty International and at least 140 others were believed to be on death row, according to Stop Child Executions.
In Sudan, four 17 year olds are currently reported to be on trial for alleged participation in the Khartoum attacks, while one 17 year old and one reported 16 year old were sentenced to death in July and August 2008, according to the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Sudan.

According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, “neither capital punishment nor life imprisonment without possibility of release shall be imposed for offences committed by persons below eighteen years of age” (art.37)
In the 20th anniversary year of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and on the 7th World Day against the Death Penalty, we, the undersigned, call on the authorities in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen to thoroughly respect and implement the international commitments they already endorsed and to end all executions of juveniles.

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(Portuguese translation)


Em 2007, 11 jovens (menores de 18 anos no momento do crime pelo qual foram condenados à morte) foram executados: 8 no Irão, 2 na Arábia Saudita, e um no Yemen. Em 2008, no Irão, pelo menos 8 jovens foram executados e acredita-se que pelo menos outros 140 estiveram no corredor da morte. No Sudão, quatro jovens de 17 anos encontram-se em julgamento por alegada participação nos ataques de Khartoum; em Julho e Agosto de 2008, dois jovens, de 17 e 16 anos, foram condenados à morte, de acordo com o repórter especial das Nações Unidas para a situação dos direitos humanos no Sudão.

De acordo com a Convenção das Nações Unidas para os Direitos da Criança, \\\"não será imposta a pena de morte nem a prisão perpétua sem a possibilidade de libertação por delitos cometidos por menores de 18 anos de idade\\\". (art.37)

No 20º aniversário da Convenção para os Direitos da Criança e no 7º Dia Internacional contra a Pena de Morte, nós, os abaixo-assinados, apelamos às autoridades do Irão, Arábia Saudita, Sudão e Yemen para que respeitem e implementem os compromissos internacionais que aprovaram, e que ponham um fim a todas as execuções de jovens.


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Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The APPEAL FOR AN END TO EXECUTIONS OF JUVENILES Petition to General public was created by and written by Amnesty International Portugal - Porto Grupo 6 (aiporto6@gmail.com).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.