H' Rights want abolition of death sentence

Puducherry, Nov 8: Human Rights Peoples Movement Tamil Nadu state in charge Mr Marx today called for the abolition of death sentence and demanded that the capital punishment on former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein be commuted.

Addressing mediapersons here, he charged that Saddam was sentenced to death for crimes against humanity. ''If so, who will punish American President George Bush who had killed over one lakh Iraqis by waging a war against the country?''.

He pointed out that in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, death sentence was reduced to life imprisonment on recommendation of Congress President and the former prime minister's wife Mrs Sonia Gandhi.

Mr Marx also demanded that capital punishment of Mohammed Afzal, the key accused in Parliament attack case, should also be reduced.

He wondered why the political parties opposing capital punishment while being in the Opposition, were now favouring it.

The movement was organising a campaign against capital punishment, he added.

UNI