Moratorium on the Use of the Death Penalty

Witness to Innocence (WTI), a US based NGO of exonerated survivors of death row, will hold a press conference at 3:00pm on 12/13 at NPC to highlight the importance of US support for the “Moratorium on the Use of the Death Penalty” resolution due for a vote at the 77th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).

Joined by Maryland’s 61^st Governor, Martin O’Malley, Commissioner of the International Commission Against the Death Penalty, Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy, Executive Director of Catholic Mobilizing Network, and Rev. Carlos Malavé, President of the Latino Christian National NetworkWTI Death Row Exonerees Kwame Ajamu (Board Chair), Herman Lindsey (Executive Director), Kirk Bloodsworth (1^st person to be exonerated from death row by DNA, Veteran), Ray Krone (Co-Founder, Veteran), Shujaa Graham (CA death row exoneree), Alfred Rivera (NC death row exoneree) and Sabrina Butler-Smith (1^st woman exonerated from death row) will share their stories of being innocent on death row and illustrate that capital punishment is a form of torture and a human rights issue as it is seen in most countries worldwide. To date, 190 people exonerated from US death rows since 1973.

On November 11, the UNGA 3rd Committee voted by a large majority in favor of the draft resolution A/C.3/77/L.44 for a universal moratorium on the use of the death penalty. The resolution was adopted by 126 States while 37 voted against it (including the US), 24 abstained and 6 did not take part in the vote. This is the highest number of votes for moratorium since the submission of the first resolution in 2007 and reflects the global trend away from capital punishment. The final vote is scheduled for the December 15^th UNGA plenary session.

LIVESTREAM: https://youtu.be/pt5cy7X672w

2:30 Pre-Interviews

3:00 Press Conference

3:30 Post-Interviews

Contact:

Jennie Sheeks, WTI Director of Development and Communications

215-251-6070, [email protected]