Emmanuel Macron announces an initiative at the UN against the death penalty – archyde

Emmanuel Macron announced, Saturday October 9, that France was going “Relaunch the fight for universal abolition” of the death penalty. On the occasion of the commemoration of the 40e anniversary of the abolition of the death penalty in France, celebrated with Robert Badinter at the Pantheon in front of a few dozen invited personalities, the President of the Republic said he wanted to seize the opportunity of the French presidency of the European Union, which begins in January, to organize a meeting in Paris ” at the highest level “ with the civil societies of the States “Still applying the death penalty, or a moratorium”. The objective of this awareness raising event, which will be co-organized with the association Together against the death penalty, is to sensitize the leaders of the States concerned. According to Mr. Macron, 483 people, a “Number certainly underestimated”, were carried out in 2020 in 33 countries.

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The head of state intends to go further. “France, with its partners in the European Union, will present to the next United Nations session a draft resolution so that each year, the states that have not abolished the death penalty communicate to the UN the number of convictions pronounced and the number of executions. “ A way of emphasizing, according to him, using the words of Victor Hugo, that “Wherever the death penalty is lavished, barbarism dominates, wherever the death penalty is rare, civilization reigns”. This speech does not fail to resonate with the debate on the reinstatement of the death penalty in France that some are relaunching on the occasion of the presidential election campaign.

“A shame for humanity”

Just before the Head of State, Robert Badinter, the Minister of Justice under François Mitterrand who voted for the abolition of the death penalty in 1981, forcefully made a new plea for this timeless cause. “Abolition has become a pillar of European civilization” he launched, alerting the thousands of people, “Among which the innocent”, who are waiting to be executed in the world.

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At 93, the former lawyer wants to be optimistic. “I want to tell you my absolute conviction, the death penalty is doomed to disappear from this world, because it is a shame for humanity. Never, nowhere, has it reduced bloody crime ”, he proclaimed in a vibrant voice under the dome of the Pantheon. Mr. Badinter warned those who imagine such a penalty for terrorists, because it “Would transform into martyrs, into heroes” in the eyes of their supporters who would then think only of avenging them. “In truth, the death penalty does not defend the society of free women and men, it dishonours it. “

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