Weighing in on the issue of the death penalty across the world First Post World reports that the the United Nations’s anti-torture expert and Special Reporter on Torture, Juan E. Mendez, spoke to the General Assembly today on his findings.
Citing a growing momentum around the world to abolish the death penalty, Mendez stated in his report that continuing to allow it is akin to torture and a violation of human rights.
This is not the first time the UN has spoken out against the death penalty across the world, with many speeches taking place over the years working to eliminate it from the justice system in many countries.
Currently the death penalty is allowed by the UN as an exception of the right to life provided for under international law. Following Mendez’s report only the United States, Singapore and Egypt took exception to his findings, rejecting that there is a growing trend across the world to abolish the death penalty entirely.