In a written statement released today, the National President of the Sikh Students Federation of India, Parmjeet Singh Gazi, called for a cancellation of the death sentence issued to Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan.
“We have three points of concern in this regard; first, the execution would amount to “cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment” prohibited under Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) as accused were put on death row for more than a decade.
Secondly, the executions would break the de facto moratorium observed by the Indian state for past seven years as no execution is carried since 2004.
Thirdly these executions are opposed to global trends of abolition of death penalty”.
“Prolonged and inordinate delay in execution, per se, is a ground for cancellation of death sentence in India”
See also our earlier post Renewed calls against death sentences in Rajiv Gandhi cases