Srinagar, Feb 9: Amnesty International (AI) on Saturday condemned the secret execution of Parliament attack convict Muhammed Afzal Guru at New Delhi’s Tihar jail.
“The execution of Guru indicates a disturbing and regressive trend towards executions shrouded in secrecy and the resumption of death penalty use in India,” the international human rights watchdog said in a statement issued in London.
“We condemn the execution in the strongest possible terms. This very regrettably puts India in opposition to the global trends towards moving away from the death penalty”, said Shashikumar Velath, Programmes Director at Amnesty International India.
“He was tried by a special court designated under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), a law which fell considerably short of international fair trial standards and has since been repealed, in 2004, after serious allegations of its widespread abuse. “Serious questions have been raised about the fairness of Afzal Guru’s trial. He did not receive legal representation

of his choice or a lawyer with adequate experience at the trial stage. These concerns were not addressed,” said Shashikumar.
“Before Ajmal Kasab’s execution in November, Indian authorities used to make information about the rejection of mercy petitions and dates of execution available to the public prior to any executions. The new practice of carrying out executions in secret is highly disturbing,” said Shashikumar.
The Amnesty said it is not clear whether Afzal Guru was given the opportunity to seek a judicial review of the decision to reject his mercy petition – a practice that has been followed in other cases.
“According to initial reports from Kashmir, Afzal Guru’s family in Kashmir say they were not informed of his imminent execution, in violation of international standards on the use of the death penalty. The body was also not returned to the family for last rites and burial, in violation of international standards. India is among a minority of countries which continue to use the death penalty. In total, 140 countries, more than two thirds of the world’s countries, are abolitionist in law or in practice. In 2011, only 21 states in the world executed, meaning that 90 per cent of the world was execution-free.”
The AI opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception, regardless of the nature or circumstances of the crime; guilt, innocence or other characteristics of the individual; or the method used by the state to carry out the execution. It opposes it as a violation of the right to life as recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.

GURU'S HANGING WORRYING TREND: HRW
Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru's hanging "shows a very worrying trend by the Indian government", Human Rights Watch said Saturday. "The hanging of Afzal Guru, following closely behind the hanging of (Mumbai attack convict) Ajmal Kasab n November, shows a very worrying trend by the Indian government," it said.
"Human Rights Watch opposes the death penalty in all circumstances as an inherently irreversible, inhumane punishment," said Meenakshi Ganguly, the South Asia director of Human Rights Watch.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 9 Feb 2013 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 9 Feb 2013 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 10 Feb 2013 00:00:00 IST