China’s move to end white collar executions not enough
Amnesty International warned today that proposed reforms of China’s application of the death penalty may not result in significantly fewer executions.
Colm O’Gorman, Executive Director of Amnesty International Ireland, said: “Although we would welcome any reform that would in reduce executions in China, we are not convinced that these changes will have a significant impact.”
As part of its campaigning against the death penalty, Amnesty International has called on China to reduce the number of capital crimes.
The changes would, if passed, reportedly remove the death penalty as a punishment for white collar crimes such as tax fraud, and for smuggling valuables and cultural relics. It would also remove the death penalty as a punishment for those over 75 years of age.
The ultimate impact of any reforms to China's use of the death penalty cannot be publicly known and evaluated because the number of people executed every year is a state secret.
Amnesty International is calling on the Chinese government to make the draft legislation and the national execution figures public, so that there can be transparent, and a real debate on the death penalty.
In a challenge to China’s lack of transparency, Amnesty International declined to publish its own minimum figures for Chinese executions and death sentences in its worldwide annual report this year on the death penalty. China is estimated to be the world’s biggest executor.
Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception, as the ultimate violation of human rights.
