http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-20822542
Taiwan condemned over executions
22 December 2012 Last updated at 11:34 GMT
Taiwan has executed six death row inmates, the first use of the death penalty this year.
The deputy justice minister said the brutality of the men's crimes meant there was no reason to show mercy.
Campaigning human rights group Amnesty International has condemned the move as "cold-blooded killing".
The executions - by shooting - "made a mockery of the authorities' stated commitment to abolish the death penalty", Amnesty said in a statement.
"It is abhorrent to justify taking someone's life because prisons are overcrowded or the public's alleged support for the death penalty," the statement said.
My comments: I don't think the congestion in the prisons could be one of the reasons for the execution.
Popular support
The executions were carried out in three separate prisons in different parts of the country - two in the capital, Taipei, two in the central city of Taichung and two in the south of the island.
All six of the men had been convicted of murder.
The BBC's Cindy Sui, in Taipei, says the executions come at a time of inflamed public debate about the death penalty following the death of a boy in a video arcade.
Local media reported the 29-year-old suspect had said he would get life in prison at most "even if he were to kill two or three".
He also reportedly said he would get free room and board in prison.
The reports led to public calls for all of those on death row to be executed.
A spokeswoman for the ministry of justice said that the executions had been carried out on a Friday evening to avoid a strong public reaction.
Though religious and human rights groups oppose capital punishment, most victims' families are in favour, and surveys suggest that most of the population also support the death penalty.
The ministry said it has the obligation to carry out the law until there is public consensus on abolishing the death penalty.
According to the state-run Central News Agency, there are a total of 55 death row inmates following the executions.
Taiwan executed five prisoners in March 2011 and four in April 2010.
The 2010 executions were the first after a hiatus that had lasted since 2005, when it adopted an informal moratorium on the death penalty.
****************************
Are you for or against the death penalty? You might like to join the discussion.
http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/70609
**************
Here's some opinions on the issue in today's UDN:
http://udn.com/NEWS/OPINION/X1/7588989.shtml
死囚人權／人權天秤上 被害者多重？
2012.12.25 03:20 am
吳威志／雲科大科技法律所所長、中華人權協會秘書長（雲縣斗六）
法務部一口氣槍決了六位死刑犯，引起廢死聯盟質疑人權倒退，違反國際人權潮流。其中幾處前提值得探討：
第一，今年我國人權指標調查，司法人權較之去年落後，最大詬病則在犯罪被害人保護不足，顯然，被害人的人權反而應該儘速強化。
第二，我國死刑判決是司法審判權，卻將執行死刑決定權交給行政院法務部部長，如此一來，不執行死刑，反而損及司法威信。
第三，如果主張廢死，則反觀我國法律配套與替代方式不足，亦即刑法數罪併罰合併執行不逾三十年，並非如同國外得以累計百年以上。
廢死訴求確為司法人權的一環，但還有許多努力的方向：一方面必須使得每一個被害人或其家屬，都能獲得完全保護並合理補償；另一方面執行死刑改由司法院院長決定，藉以督促司法審判慎重行之，亦可對症下藥改革司法；最後，可以研討刑事上各種的配套或替代方案如下：
一、修改刑法第五十一條加入「累計刑期」，或者縱使數罪併罰但應加倍提高合併刑期，把目前不得逾三十年改為六十年。
二、修改刑法加入「死刑緩期執行制度」，如同中國刑法規定，死刑緩期執行二年觀察期滿，得減無期徒刑。
三、強化新增死刑觀審制度，不僅從第一審就須規定「死刑案須經觀審」，甚至是否判決死刑亦可規定，應經觀審委員三分之二同意，承審法官方能採行。
四、修改刑法「增設終身監禁不得假釋之刑」，藉以與無期徒刑區別，因為無期徒刑執行滿二十五年尚可假釋，若有終身監禁則可使之成為死刑的替代方案。
五、修改刑事訴訟法強化「死刑量刑制度」，得以規範各級法院針對承審法官死刑判決之提議，基於人權保障，須輪派五人合議多數決議方能採行。
馬英九總統對於人權的重視，已經實施多項政策及其立法，並宣示廢死乃為人權之目標。
因此，我們更應該立即檢討相關法制，兼顧受刑人與被害人雙方的人權，修法健全相關配套方案，方能漸進式的達到廢死的階段，符合國際人權的趨勢。
張文齡／大學生（台北市）
死刑最終不能成為解決社會問題的正途，這是廢死聯盟的說法。
但縱然有再多「站在他者」的立場，我想最無法跨越的，應是「若你是被害者家屬」的假設性提問吧，在面對骨肉分離之痛的時候，任何的「人權」、「社會結構因素」都變得薄弱、無力反駁。
要台灣民眾支持逐步廢除死刑，必須面對的不只是眾多的輿論，最得先跨越的，應是同情心的提問吧。
翁偉哲／地檢署觀護佐理員（台南市）
死刑究竟是否應該廢除？或許可參考近年法務部提倡僅限於家庭成員所衍生出傷害、違反保護令等刑事案件之「修復式司法」；即提供加害人、被害人、雙方家屬各種談論犯罪及說出自己感受與對話機會，藉以改善當事人的關係，並修復犯罪造成的傷害。
目前法務部尚不敢針對重大刑事案件採取上述理念，因恐衍生更多爭論，然今死刑是否該廢除的最大關鍵，不在於被害者家屬的感受嗎？縱使對大部分國民而言，死刑犯罪無可逭，但仍有少數家屬願意原諒死刑犯。
因而，原諒，是受害者家屬的權利。
結合修復式司法可導出以下結論：首先，若被害者家屬願意原諒加害人，可作為法院是否判處死刑的重大參考；其次，詢問有意受訪的受害家屬對於廢除死刑的看法，以建立廢死聯盟欠缺的「客觀性」基礎；最後，邀請受害家屬連署推動廢除死刑的法案，「立論性」才夠穩當。
我國法律尚有明文死刑，執法者僅能依法行政。廢死聯盟等團體一味捍衛自己立場與他人爭辯，無異緣木求魚，釜底抽薪的辦法，應是爭取受害者家屬的支持，並以更多有利證據和宣導，消除人民疑慮與反對聲浪。
沒有留言:
張貼留言