Brandon Boeck
Syria
Greenfield High School
The Death Penalty: Capital Punishment and Human Rights
Syria clearly supports the use of the death penalty along with the United States. They believe its right
and refuses to get rid of it. Syria is in the fourth category on the death penalty known as retentionists.
They are a country where the death penalty is still under use for “Ordinary” as well as exceptional
crimes. 137 countries have abolished the death penalty, and 59 countries have the death penalty, but
only 25 practice it.
Syria’s methods of execution are shooting and hanging. For the use of the death penalty in Syria the
minimum age is 18, there is no maximum age but there has never been anyone over the age of 60. The
crimes punishable by death are severe. They include, treason, murder, political acts against the Syrian
government, desertion of the armed forces to the enemy, violent robberies, rape, opposition to the
government, and membership in the Muslim brotherhood and drug trafficking. In 2005 there were no
executions taking place, and in past years there were less than 10 a year (1).
There have been several attempts to abolish the death penalty saying it was inhumane and breaking
human rights. Everyone has the right to life. These attempts to abolish or minimize started in 1948 with
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Sense the Declaration came into play, 188 members
abolished the death penalty in the world. They are encouraging others to stop. The treaty is a nonbinding treaty. Thus, in 1966, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) was
adopted, entering into force ten years later; it now has 152 ratifications. The Covenant strongly
encourages all UN Member States to abolish the death penalty, but allows that the sentence of death
may be imposed only for the most serious crimes. Fifteen years after the ICCPR entered into force, the
General Assembly in 1989 adopted a Second Optional Protocol to the Covenant, aimed at the abolition
of the death penalty. It was created because many states believed it would help dignify human rights. It
allows only for the use of the death penalty during wartime and within justifiable reason. The most
universally accepted agreement is known as the Convention on the Rights of a Child. It states that no
child under the age of 18 can be put to death by the death penalty. Two countries have yet to sign this
bill, the US, and Somalia. In addition to the Universal Declaration, the International Covenant, the
Second Optional Protocol, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, there are over fifty resolutions
adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, and the UN
Commission on Human Rights, abolishing the death penalty (3).
There are a lot of reasons why the death penalty is acceptable. First is the need for justice. Many believe
that once a criminal is killed many people believe that it will satisfy their need for justice. Some crimes
are so terrible that the death penalty is the only reasonable response. Then there is the aspect of
deterrence. Many people believe that the death penalty will deter criminals from engaging in that
action because of it. It’s not statistically proven, but it many believe it’s true. Many people believe that
once the criminal is convicted, executed, and then buried it is cheaper for the state. But this statistic was
proven wrong because paying for multiple appeals costs more than imprisonment. Then there is public
safety. Once the criminal is executed, there is no chance he will escape and hurt again. With the new
DNA testing there is a very slim chance that there will be wrongful executions (2).
The death penalty is worldly known yet worldly frowned upon. The UN is a non-binding organization
and can only say they want it gone but cannot do anything about it. 59 counties have the penalty, and
25 practice it. It’s been around forever and has many debates about it. Syria believes its right and
refuses to get rid of it.
Sources
1) "Syria." Hands Off Cain. Web. 3 Feb 2010.
<http://www.handsoffcain.info/bancadati/schedastato.php?idcontinente=23&nome=syria>.
2) Messerli, Joe. "Should the death penalty be banned as a form of punishment?."
BalancedPolitics. 21 Nov 2009. Web. 3 Feb 2010.
<http://www.balancedpolitics.org/death_penalty.htm>.
3) Polk-Bauman, Bree. "Capital Punishment Today." UN Chronicles Online Edition. United Nations,
Web. 3 Feb 2010.
<http://www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/2004/webArticles/072604_CapitalPunishment.asp>.