Death penalty: France condemns execution of soldier in Pakistan

Calls for Pakistan to renew its moratorium on executions and work towards abolishing the death penalty.


Afp November 15, 2012

PARIS: France on Thursday condemned the hanging of a Pakistani soldier convicted of murder and called for the country to renew its moratorium on executions and work towards abolishing the death penalty.

"This decision constitutes a step backwards in Pakistan's move towards greater respect for human rights," foreign ministry spokesman Philippe Lalliot told reporters.

Mohammad Hussain, condemned to death by a court martial in 2008 for killing a superior over a personal dispute, was hanged Thursday at Mianwali jail in the country's first execution for four years, officials said.

Pakistan has had an unofficial moratorium on executions in recent years, with President Asif Ali Zardari regularly issuing stay orders for condemned prisoners.

Farooq Nazeer, chief of prisons in the central province of Punjab, said the hanging was not a civilian execution and the government did not intervene in military cases.

He said the last execution in Pakistan was in November 2008, soon after the end of military rule.

COMMENTS (25)

digest it | 11 years ago | Reply

@A2Z: Great reply slap on every idiot's face

Iqbal | 11 years ago | Reply

To all those who are concurring with this execution please read this independent report first: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20337183 It appears Pakistan is not following its constitution properly. The facts clearly show that President Zardari is a puppet of Gen Kayani who is told what to do. Had this hanged person been an ordinary civilian then there would have been clemency but not for this soldier.

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