The "right to life" as a fundamental human right has always been the focus of all intellectual, social, political and religious circles. When it comes to the right to life, the issue of execution is a very challenging one. The death penalty has been the subject of debate for many years by supporters and opponents of the theory.
This debate is so serious that it has been raised at the level of international organizations, and most importantly the United Nations. “Capital punishment also dubbed the "death penalty," is the planned taking of a human life by a government in response to a crime committed by that legally convicted person” (White). Execution laws vary in how they are implemented in different countries. “Currently fifty-eight nations practice the death penalty” (Death Penalty).
One theory is that the death penalty is needed to punish the sinners and reduce crime in society. On the other side, opposing theory says that execution is an inhumane act and that other punishments can be used for the guilty rather than execution. Today however, many countries have abolished or implemented this method of punishment. Public pressure and human rights organizations have been involved in reducing or abolishing the death penalty. Some countries around the world have abolished the death penalty through their judicial system (Capital punishment). Thus, with the advancement of human societies, we are seeing that supporters of the abolition of the death penalty are being added over time.
The emergence of the theory of the death penalty goes back many years.”The idea of capital punishment was brought over from Britain, when the founding fathers declared independence. Europeans gave the death penalty for various crimes. The first recorded execution in America occurred in Jamestown, 1608” (Death Penalty). The death penalty has undergone many changes over the years. Especially during the nineteenth century, it changed dramatically and lost its popularity. "Pennsylvania was the first state to adopt this trend. Eventually some states abolished the death penalty all together"(Death Penalty). It should be noted that the peak of punishment in America was in the early twentieth century, but the use of the death penalty has declined sharply in the United States over the past 25 years (History).
Amnesty International's view of the death penalty as international neutral: "The death penalty is the ultimate denial of human rights. It is the premeditated and cold-blooded killing of a human being by the state in the name of justice. It violates the right to life...It is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. There can never be any justification for torture or for cruel treatment"(qtd.in White). According to official statistics, China and Iran are always in the first and second place in the execution of the death penalty. Of course, Iran has the highest per capita execution rate in terms of population (Capital punishment).
Amnesty International writes about the implementation of the death penalty by governments, "some countries execute people who were under 18 years old when the crime was committed, others use the death penalty against people with mental and intellectual disabilities and several others apply the death penalty after unfair trials – in clear violation of international law and standards"(We know that). For instance, under the Iranian regime’s law, expressing opposition to the government, cursing the Prophet, certain drug offenses, murder, incest, rape, drinking alcohol, homosexuality and lesbianism are punishable by death.
According to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, the Iranian government executed 30,000 political prisoners held in Iranian jails in the summer of 1988 (“Iran Events of 2016”). Furthermore, the government also denies freedom of religions like Baha’is and Christians. “Mona Mahmudnizhad, executed at the age of 17 in Shiraz in 1983, along with 9 other Bahá’í women” (“Human Rights…”). According to statistics of the department of Iran Human Rights (IHR), Iranian authorities have executed 207 prisoners including five teenagers between January 1th and October 10th, 2018 (“Iran Events of 2016”). As such, the Iranian regime uses the death penalty not only for murderers and criminals but also for young, old, women and even innocent children who have only thoughts opposed to the dictatorship of the Iranian regime.
Amnesty International is the only international body that has taken a firm stand on abolishing the death penalty. “Although international law says that the use of the death penalty must be restricted to the most serious crimes, meaning intentional killing, Amnesty believes that the death penalty is never the answer” (We know that). Following global efforts to abolish the death penalty, The United Nations General Assembly has adopted, in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014, non-binding resolutions calling for a global moratorium on executions, with a view to eventual abolition (Capital punishment). Overall, there have been worldwide efforts to abolish the death penalty in all countries, but since the debate is very challenging and some governments continue to support the death sentence, there is still much controversy between supporters and opponents of the death sentence.
In conclusion, the death penalty is one of the heaviest types of punishment in the legal and penal systems, it is currently facing strong opposition from many international legal circles and institutions, and the abolition of the punishment by various countries has been increasing.
My personal opinion:
I personally oppose the death penalty and that does not mean I support the killer. In my opinion, man is not in a position to judge whether he has the right to choose if another lives or not. In my country, 30,000 of the best people, old and young, men and women, and even innocent children still in their mothers' wombs, were executed for freedom. In Iran, over 80% of the executions are for scaring the public so they won’t revolt. This means that the person being executed is sacrificed to serve as an example to others, not just, because he was guilty. I think that dictatorial systems use this punishment to push their own interests, and not for real and humane justice.
Works Cited
“Capital punishment.” Wikipedia. 2019.
"Death Penalty Argumentative Essay." Ukessays. June 20, 2017.
"History of the Death Penalty." Death Penalty Information Center. 2019.
"We know that, together, we can end the death penalty everywhere." Amnesty
International/McCann Erickson Berlin. 2018.
White Deborah."Pros & Cons of the Death Penalty." Thought Co. July 03, 2019.