New Jersey Abolishes Death Penalty
TRENTON, N.J., Dec. 17, 2007 (CBS/AP)

New Jersey on Monday became the first state in four decades to abolish the death penalty under a bill signed by Gov. Jon S. Corzine, a move being hailed across the world as a historic victory against capital punishment. Corzine signed the bill at a Statehouse ceremony.

"We have seized the moment and are poised to join the ranks of other states and countries that view the death penalty as discriminatory, immoral and barbaric," said state Assemblyman Wilfredo Caraballo, D- Essex. The bill, approved last week by the state's Assembly and Senate, will replace the death sentence with life in prison without parole.

A special state commission found in January that the death penalty was a more expensive sentence than life in prison, hasn't deterred murder and risks killing an innocent person. "The state is taking a painful but necessary step," said Corzine, a Democrat.

Among the eight spared is Jesse Timmendequas, a sex offender who murdered 7-year-old Megan Kanka in 1994. The case inspired Megan's Law, which requires law enforcement agencies to notify the public about convicted sex offenders living in their communities.

This action is on behalf of two Darfurian women who face imminent execution by stoning after being convicted of adultery.

The attached sample letter is in MS Word. If you take this action, please adapt the letter to your needs, send it before 27 April 07, and mail a copy to Ambassador Khidir Haround Ahmed, Embassy of the Republic of the Sudan, 2210 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008.

Mid-Atlantic Regional Action of the Month
DARFUR AND EASTERN CHAD:
Human rights at risk for hundreds of thousands of civilians

The well-documented violence in Darfur, Sudan, that began in 2003 continues to displace hundreds of thousands of people who now live as refugees or internally displaced persons (IDPs) in both Sudan and neighboring Chad. Security in Darfur itself continues to deteriorate, and eastern Chad has become the site of a significant humanitarian crisis, the direct result of events in Darfur. The numbers tell the story: over two million Darfuris are internally displaced and 230,000 are refugees in Chad; 100,000 Chadians are internally displaced, and at least another 15,000 have become refugees in Darfur. Humanitarian access by aid agencies is limited, and physical security for refugees, IDPs, and aid workers is severely eroding.

(Read on for more information and a sample action letter!)

In September 2006, we wrote on behalf of Mirza Tahir Hussain, who faced execution for the murder of Jamshid Khan on 17 December 88.

Jamshid Khan was a taxi driver who was taking Mr. Hussain from Rawalpindi to Bhubar. During the trip, Mr. Khan stopped the car, drew a gun, and tried to physically and sexually assault Mr. Hussain. The gun fired during the resulting struggle, killing Mr. Khan.

We expressed our concerns about reports that the trial did not meet common and established standards of fairness, along with our opposition to the death sentence.

Happily, President Pervez Musharraf has commuted Mirza Tahir Hussain's sentence. Because he had already served 18 years in detention, the commutation resulted in his release. Mr. Hussain has already moved to the United Kingdom.

There is no way to say that one letter or another led to this outcome, but we can say that we participated in a global effort that probably saved a life.

Attached, in MS Word, is our death penalty action for May 2006 for Egypt. Ezzat Ali Hanafi and Hamdi Ali Hanafi could be executed at any time for growing drugs and obstructing a police raid. Please adapt the letter to your needs and send copies to: National Council for Human Rights, 1113 Corniche al-Nil, NDP Building, Cairo, Egypt; and Ambassador M. Nabil Fahmy, Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Washington, DC 20008-2023.

The attachment, in MS Word, is for our May 2006 death penalty action for Iran. Ne'mat, age 17, could be executed at any time. Please adapt the letter to your needs and send a copy to the Iranian Interests Section, 2209 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20007.

On April 11, Amnesty International USA announced that Gurbandurdy Durdykuliev, prisoner of conscience from Turkmenistan, was freed. He had been forcibly confined to a psychiatric hospital since February 2004 for expressing his political views.

Amnesty International USA Press Release

In light of this wonderful news, the action on Durdykuliev has been removed. Thanks to those who participated in the action either at our meetings or through this website.

Amnesty is asking Pennsylvania residents to contact their representatives and ask for a NO vote on House Bill 698, at least in its present form.

Here are the basics:

Please oppose House Bill 698, which, in its current form, would require that a determination of a defendant's mental retardation be made by the jury after it has convicted the defendant.
This legislation is opposed by professionals in the mental retardation field, civil libertarians and learned counsel, as well as by faith communities.
Post-trial determination would cause the Commonwealth to incur the costs of an unnecessary capital trial, if a defendant is then found to be mentally retarded and therefore ineligible for the death penalty.
This bill runs counter to national trends: Of the eight states that have implemented standards since the Atkins decision, seven have opted for pre-trial determination (18 death penalty states passed statutes before Atkins ).
We must pass legislation that truly protects the constitutional rights of those with mental retardation – House Bill 698 will not accomplish that objective.