‘I congratulate Kazakhstan on decisive step towards the abolition of death penalty’, Marco Impagliazzo, President of the Community of Sant'Egidio, expressed his satisfaction for the decision - announced via videoconference by President Kassym Jomart Tokayev at the 75th Session of the General Assembly of the UN - to sign the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Thus, the Asian country effectively abolishes death penalty, after a moratorium lasting 17 years, pending its formal abolition in law from its legal system.
‘Sant'Egidio has accompanied Kazakhstan towards abolition since 2006. In the past years some of Kazakhstan representatives, including Tokayev himself as he was President of the Senate, participated in international meetings on justice and peace organised by the Community of Sant’Egidio - continues Impagliazzo - we are now committed to supporting this process and to continue our work to free the world from capital punishment’.
Foto: UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
