Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty Press Release
March 4, 2011
In response to reports that executions may proceed today:
Any executions at this point in time would be illegal
According to today’s copies of the Liberty Times and United Daily, the Ministry of Justice has stepped up its plans to carry out executions. At the earliest, executions are expected today. The Liberty Times reported that up to five people would be put to death. According to the United Daily, the ministry’s task group on executions met quietly to finalize the list of those to be executed and forwarded at least two execution orders to the Minister of Justice for his signature.
On March 1, the TAEDP responded to Minister of Justice Tseng Yung-fu’s statement on proceeding with executions. Carrying out any executions at this point in time would violate both domestic law and international human rights law.
Under Article 6, Paragraph 4 of the ICCPR: “Anyone sentenced to death shall have the right to seek pardon or commutation of the sentence. Amnesty, pardon or commutation of the sentence of death may be granted in all cases.” This is legally binding in Taiwan. Taiwan passed the ICCPR in 2009 and incorporated it into domestic law the same year (the Act to Implement the ICCPR and ICESCR).