Death row closes in Cuba
Dec 30, 2010 14:25:46 GMT
Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2010 14:25:46 GMT
The Supreme Court of Cuba commuted the sentence of the last prisoner on death row on December 28th. Humberto Real, age 40, had been condemned to death in 1996 for "acts against State security" and for murdering someone in 1994.
In April 2008, Raul Castro had already commuted the sentences of 30 other prisoners and also 2 Salvadoran prisoners at the beginning of December.
There has been a moratorium on executions in Cuba since 2000, but it was broken in 2003 by the execution of three young hijackers trying to get to the United States.
Local human rights activists are hoping for a definitive abolition of the death penalty in Cuba, as existed in the 1940's and 50's. The death penalty still exists throughout most of the Caribbean region, except for Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
In April 2008, Raul Castro had already commuted the sentences of 30 other prisoners and also 2 Salvadoran prisoners at the beginning of December.
There has been a moratorium on executions in Cuba since 2000, but it was broken in 2003 by the execution of three young hijackers trying to get to the United States.
Local human rights activists are hoping for a definitive abolition of the death penalty in Cuba, as existed in the 1940's and 50's. The death penalty still exists throughout most of the Caribbean region, except for Haiti and the Dominican Republic.