A statement for immediate release
Issued by Human Rights and Democracy Media Center “SHAMS”
SHAMS condemns inflicting death penalty upon citizens by Court of First Instance
Death penalty doesn’t deter criminals or solve problems
“SHAMS” center condemns inflicting death penalty upon Nael Mahmoud Gundia, and Muhammad Ali Gundia on Tuesday 10th January of 2017. In the case of the murdered citizen Muhammad Hals from Gaza Strip. It is worth noting that the murder of the citizen Hals occurred in 2013, when he was beaten with a harsh stick, a blade, a scalpel and a firearm which caused the death immediately.
“SHAMS” center convicts the nature of (gifts) being presented by the courts in Gaza Strip to the citizens for celebrating the New Year 2017. While people around the world celebrate the New Year in different ways, citizens of Gaza Strip live with more sorrow, deprivation and killing.
“SHAMS” center assures its support and solidarity with families and parents of victims. It clarifies that calling for abolition of the death sentence against perpetrators in serious crimes doesn’t indicate tolerating them, but replacing the death sentence with other punishment to respect individuals’ humanity and dignity. The capital punishment represents the cruelest form of intentional murder. It is irreversible, the risk of executing an innocent person can never be eliminated. While people who were sent to death row have later been exonerated sometimes.
“SHAMS” center puts emphasis on respecting the efforts and approaches of the Palestinian leaders aiming to accede human rights conventions which guarantee the right to life. The center appeals to the Palestinian National Authority PNA to sign the Second Optional Protocol of 1989, annexed to the International Convenant on political and Civil Rights, on the abolition of death penalty. Moreover, the center appeals to the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas so as not to ratify death sentences, and to use his constitutional powers to abolish death penalty from the Palestinian legislations.
“END”