Newshawk: http://www.novembercoalition.org
Pubdate: Mon, 21 Jun 2010
Source: Guardian, The (UK)
Page: 21
Copyright: 2010 Guardian News and Media Limited
Contact: letters@guardian.co.uk
Website: http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardian/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/175
Author: Mary O’Hara
Cited: International Harm Reduction Association http://www.ihra.net/
Referenced: The report
http://www.ihra.net/Assets/2538/1/IHRA_DeathPenaltyReport2010.pdf
INTERNATIONAL DRUG CRIME MEASURES ‘LEAD TO EXECUTIONS’
Enforcement by Britain, the UN and the EU Backs Up Regimes That
Ignore Human Rights, Says Report
The United Nations, the European commission and individual states
including Britain are flouting international human rights law by
funding anti-drug crime measures that are inadvertently leading to
the executions of offenders, according to a report seen by the Guardian.
The International Harm Reduction Association (IHRA), a
non-governmental organisation that advocates less punitive approaches
to drugs policy globally, says it has gathered evidence revealing
“strong links” between executions for drugs offences and the funding
of specific drug enforcement operations by international agencies.
It says programmes aimed at shoring up local efforts to combat drug
trafficking and other offences are being run “without appropriate
safeguards” that could prevent serious human rights violations in
countries that retain the death penalty.
The report concludes that the UN Office on Drugs and Crime are all
actively involved in funding and/or delivering technical assistance,
legislative support and financial aid intended to strengthen domestic
drug enforcement activities in states that retain the death penalty
for drug offences.
[snip]
Continues: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10.n472.a05.html