As the process of social evolution is gradually taking place, it is now dawning in most nations and individuals that certain practices ought not to be tolerated in our present society that is full of elites. The death penalty is a good example in this case; most states globally have turned against such practices, which are brutal to humankind (Centre for Constitutional Rights, 2013). Apparently, densely populated countries such as China and the United States are still practicing physical torture. In total, eighty-four countries globally accord capital punishment to criminals. However, this trend is declining significantly, hopefully, in the coming days, all the nations in the world would be unified in abandoning such inhuman acts (Centre for Constitutional Rights, 2013).
In criminology, the death penalty is accorded to criminals to create fear among members of the society who might be planning to engage in certain acts such as adultery or treason. In 2014 for instance, amnesty international reported that 22 countries carried out executions (Amnesty International, 2015). Notably, the number of people who were sentenced to death that year amounted to 2,466, which shows that it had increased by 28% compared to the previous year. This tremendous increase in figures was due to the mass executions that were carried out in Egypt and Nigeria (Amnesty International, 2015). Reports indicate that the executions were carried out to respond to threats that terrorists posed to the national security and the public in general. For instance, Pakistan had to revert to sentencing criminals to death following a terrible attack on Peshawar school (Amnesty International, 2015). The Government in an attempt to strike hard, it executed more that hundred people who had been convicted.
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Death penalty became a human rights issue since it led to the executions of innocent people. The Amnesty International (2015) stated most victims of deterrence had not even attained the age of eighteen years. Batha (2013) noted that a 16-year-old girl was executed in Iraq after eloping with a man who was not approved by her parents. Reports also indicate that most victims are forced to confess that they indulged in certain crimes that warrant their executions. In addition, most individuals who were executed in 2014 did not commit more serious crimes like murder or treason. They were executed because of being involved in corruption, insulting the Islamic prophets, kidnapping, adultery or sorcery. Reports from Indonesia also indicated that mentally and physically challenged individuals were sentenced to death despite not having committed the crime (Amnesty International, 2015).
Globally, many NGOs have been established to campaign against the use of inhumane acts when seeking social justice. Such organizations include the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty ( ECAD ), International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UNHDR), and Amnesty International (AI). These organizations are mandated to protect the lives of individuals. For example, article 3 of the UDHR states that every person has the right to life, freedom and security (Centre for Constitutional Rights, 2013) . Most of these human right groups suggest that life imprisonment is a more humane and severe form of punishment that an individual can be accorded for committing a capital crime.
The reason for choosing this research topic was to gain a deeper insight on how and why most states were still rooted in old crooked forms of punishments. Despite the fact that some of them might be celebrating the use of this method in restoring social morality as well as enquiring national security, it is saddening to find out that some innocent individuals had been executed through the unfairness of trials that this method offers. Research has revealed the in countries like the U.S. and some Asian Countries, victims are physically tortured to extract information that would justify their guilt. Such mechanisms deprive them a chance to demonstrate their innocence.
The various articles and through learning in class my perception about the death penalty has been greatly changed. It is unfortunate that formerly, I used to believe that the only way to restore social morality was to eliminate individuals who proved to be a threat through sentencing them to death. However, the methodologies deployed to achieve this goal have proved to be unjust and inhumane hence the need for it to be condemned. It is true that everybody has the right to life and it is upon the various governments to restore and protect the constitutional right to life of its individuals.
References
Amnesty International. (2015). Death Sentences and Executions in 2014 . United Kingdom: Amnesty International Ltd.
Centre for Constitutional Rights. (2013). The Death Penalty is a Human Rights Violation: An Examination of the Death Penalty in the U.S. from a Human Rights Perspective . New York, NY 10012.
Batha, Emma. (September 29, 2013 ). Facebox: Stoning where does it happen? Thomson Reuters Foundation News . Retrieved from http://news.trust.org//item/20130927165059-w9g0i
