Taiwan's Death-Penalty Debate Could Influence Asia 

APRIL 15, 2011, 8:49 PM HKT 

The ongoing debate in Taiwan about capital punishment could influence China and its other East Asian neighbors, according to a report from human-rights organization Dui Hua Foundation.

Although more than 70% of Taiwanese support capital punishment, debate about it came to the fore this year when president Ma Ying-jeou apologized in January for the wrongful execution of a soldier for the murder of a child in 1996. The government also executed five prisoners without notifying their families in March.

The executions attracted condemnation from the European Union and advocacy groups, and marked the second time Taiwan executed convicts following an informal four-year moratorium.

A blow to human rights: Taiwan resumes executions

the Death Penalty in Taiwan, 2010 

Annual report by TAEDP

Summary 

Taiwan's government has over the past decade asserted that it is "gradually" moving toward abolition. Despite this, it has neither offered a timeline for abolition nor proposed concrete steps toward that goal. It continues to carry out executions and does not see a moratorium as necessary to move toward abolition. Thus, after a four-year hiatus, in 2010, Taiwan resumed executions. 

On April 30, the Ministry of Justice executed four people. Although the government said the executions were "in line with the law," civic groups and academics believe they violated Articles 6 and 14 of the ICCPR, which Taiwan incorporated into domestic law in 2009. 

On May 28, the Constitutional Court dismissed three applications for judicial review submitted by the TAEDP on behalf of death row inmates. In doing so, the justices avoided reaching a consensus on a controversial issue. 

As of the end of 2010, 44 people were at imminent risk of execution. Four persons saw their death sentences finalized during 2010 and four were executed. 

We urge the government to take the following steps: