再度執行死刑：台灣，正義的嚴重倒退

針對3/4法務部再次執行死刑，法務部宣稱依法執行，且執行死刑沒有違背兩公約。總部位於法國的國際人權聯盟(FIDH)與台權會於昨日發表共同聲明，駁斥這種與事實不符的說法。

2011年3月14日，國際人權聯盟The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)與台灣人權促進會對於台灣於3月4日倉促執行五死囚感到遺憾。死囚的家屬都是在執行之後才接到通知。台灣政府之前宣稱要邁向廢除死刑，卻一再執行死刑，二者根本互相矛盾。這些執行也將使台灣孤立於全世界邁向”停止執行"(moratorium)的運動之外。被執行的死囚包括：管鍾演、王國華、鐘德樹、王志煌、莊天祝。這是不到一年之內，第二波的執行。上次四名死囚被執行是在2010年的4月。目前台灣還有40名死囚，法務部已表示未來會繼續執行，但會更謹慎並確保犯人的權利。但是去年法務部卻片面修改、限制死囚寫信及家屬探望的權利。

我們都還記得，一月底馬英九總統才到江國慶家中向家屬道歉，14年前江國慶案很快地死刑定讞執行。馬總統也要求國防部必須平反江國慶的罪名並協助其家屬獲得賠償。台灣政府看似朝向廢除死刑的政治承諾，至今已經完全幻滅。2010年3月，台灣廢除死刑推動聯盟曾代替死囚向馬總統提出特赦的請求。馬總統仍未正式回應，3月4日死囚就已經被執行。

台灣政府已經簽署並批准，並有義務確保公約權利必須獲得保障，其中包括:死囚尋求特赦或減刑的權利(第六條第四項)。目前台灣沒有任何法律來規範及確保死囚尋求特赦，已經侵犯了死囚的救濟權利。國際人權聯盟的主席Souhayr Belhassen,表示:”這次的執行，台灣政府已經違反了國際法及國內法”。

”台灣應該加入世界邁向全面廢死的行列，如同上次2010年12月21日聯合國大會上109個國家所作的決議，呼籲仍未廢除死刑的國家應停止執行。”目前全球已經有超過三分之二的國家，於法律上或實際上廢除死刑。”

台灣人權促進會的會長林佳範也指出，“根據聯合國秘書長2010年提出的死刑報告評估，最快2015年全世界將會完全廢除死刑，台灣卻未曾意識到在這場全球趨勢中，自己已經是敬陪末座。”

“在聯合國三次呼籲停止執行之後，台灣政府一再執行死刑，還說一再堅稱沒有違背全球的廢死方向，是十分荒謬的說法。”

新聞聯絡人: 台權會秘書長蔡季勳 02-25969525

FIDH Karine Appy: +33 1 43 55 14 12 / +33 6 48 05 91 57 Arthur Manet: +33 1 43 55 90 19 / +33 6 72 28 42 94

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International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)Taiwan Association for Human Rights (TAHR) Joint press release

Latest executions : a huge step back for justice in Taiwan

Paris-Taipei, 14 March 2011 –

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its member organization, Taiwan Association for Human Rights (TAHR) deplore the hasty execution of five prisoners on March 4, 2011. The families of the prisoners were notified only after the executions. These executions contradict previous statements by the authorities favoring abolition and isolate Taiwan in the worldwide movement towards a universal moratorium.

The executed inmates were: Chong De-shu, Kuan Chung-yen, Wang Chih-huang, Wang Kuo-hua, and Chuang Tien-chu. This was the second batch of executions in less than a year. Another four prisoners were executed in April 2010. There are now 40 inmates currently on death row in Taiwan. The Ministry of Justice has made assurances in the past that it would only carry out executions with “extreme care” to ensure that prisoners’ rights are protected, but last year it unilaterally changed prison conditions for death row inmates to restrict their letter-writing and family visitation rights.

FIDH and TAHR recall that at the end of January, President Ma Ying-jeou apologized to the family of Mr. Chiang Kuo-ching (江國慶), the soldier who was found to have been wrongfully executed 14 years ago for the rape and murder of a young girl. The President also requested the Ministry of National Defense to clear Chiang’s name and assist his family in obtaining compensation. The hope that this gesture represents political commitment towards abolition has now been completely dashed.

In March 2010, the Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty (TAEDP) filed petitions on behalf of inmates on death row to the president for pardon. There has yet to be a formal response from the President’s Office when the March 4 executions were carried out. Taiwan has signed and ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and is obliged to guarantee the rights enshrined in the Covenant, including death row inmates’ “right to seek pardon or commutation of the sentence” (article 6.4). The absence of a law regulating and guaranteeing the rights for death row inmates to seek pardon undermines such rights.

“By carrying out these executions,” said Souhayr Belhassen, FIDH President, “Taiwan violates international and national law.” “Taiwan should join the growing international momentum towards universal abolition, as confirmed by the last resolution of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) calling for a universal moratorium on the use of the death penalty, adopted by 109 States on 21 December 2010. Today, more than two thirds of the countries in the world have abolished the death penalty in law or practice,” added Ms. Belhassen.

Chairperson of Taiwan Association for Human Rights, Lin Chia Fan, also indicated that “it is estimated by the Quinquennial Report of the UN Secretary General on capital punishment that the universal abolition of the death penalty could be achieved soonest in 2015. Taiwan is really in the last batch of the game.” “After three UNGA resolutions calling for a global moratorium,” Mr. Lin added, “it is absurd for the government to assert that carrying more executions is not against the goal towards abolition."