According to the human rights group known as Amnesty International, it is concerned about discrimination in regards to the courts handing out the death penalty. As a result, it has urged India’s government to ban executions and do away with the death penalty. So far, the practice of the death penalty has been halted in 135 countries across the world. However, India and the United States are countries that still use the death penalty.
In the United States, most executions are carried out by lethal injection. Recently in the case of the United States, execution by lethal injection was not deemed unconstitutional according a ruling by the US Supreme Court. Executions across the United States were halted since the case in 2004 brought forth by Ralph Baze and Thomas Clyde Bowling Jr., two death row inmates. Also, five states do extend the death penalty to child rape.
In the case of India, Amnesty International urged it to do away with executions. However, India’s government said that executions are rarely carried out and add that this punishment is only reserved for certain cases. So far without counting the one execution four years ago, there have virtually been no executions carried out in the last decade.
But the figures have been disputed by Amnesty International in a recent report. It accuses India of not disclosing how many were executed and how many are still on death row. So far, it has not been revealed how the group got its current numbers. But, the Indian government had denounced and criticized the report. It cited that there was no transparency in Amnesty International’s report.
In the past, the death penalty was reserved for those charged with murder, assisting suicide of a child and/or insane person, insurrection, being part of a gang robbery in which murder is involved.
It also extends to the military. If you’re a member of the Indian military, you can be slapped with the death penalty if you attempt a mutiny. In a sense, that is somewhat similar with causing an insurrection. But it’s listed as waging war against the government.
In the last few years, anybody charged with crimes related with terrorism could also get the death penalty.
However, rapists are not eligible to receive the death penalty at the moment. But, there are some that want this punishment to be handed out to rapists. So far, as explained, five states in the US do hand out the death penalty for child rape. However, it was only for child rape.
Louisiana is one of five states that do issue the death penalty for child rape. Patrick Kennedy is awaiting death row in Louisiana. He was charged, convicted, and handed the death penalty for the rape of his 8 year old step daughter.
His lawyer, Jeffrey L. Fisher, called it a cruel and unusual punishment.
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