PACE president verwelkomt de afschaffing van de doodstraf in de Filipijnen (en)

Strasbourg, 24.06.2006 – René van der Linden, President of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), made the following statement today:

“I warmly welcome President Arroyo’s signing of a law abolishing the death penalty in the Philippines.

The 46 nations of the Council of Europe have been a de facto death-penalty-free zone since 1997, and we are happy that an ever-growing circle of civilised nations feel the same way on this fundamental human rights issue.”

PACE has long-standing links with the Philippines Parliament, and is assisting with the proposal to set up an Asian Parliamentary Assembly.

Next week, during its plenary session in Strasbourg, PACE will debate a report on Council of Europe member and observer states – including the US and Japan – which have not abolished the death penalty

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