Thank you to our colleagues from the delegations of Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Mongolia, San Marino, and Switzerland for raising their concerns. As they noted, on April 12 the State of Georgia executed Kenneth Fults for the murder of Cathy Bounds in 1996. On April 27, the State of Georgia executed Daniel Lucas for the 1998 murder of Steven and Kristin Moss. On May 11, the State of Missouri executed Earl Forrest for the murder of Harriet Smith, Michael Wells, and JoAnn Barnes in 2002.
The United States recognizes the debate on the death penalty both within and among nations. We respect the views of our friends around this table. We remind colleagues that the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the United States is a party, provides for imposition of the death penalty for the most serious crimes when carried out pursuant to a final judgment rendered by a competent court, and accompanied by appropriate procedural safeguards and the observance of due process. This includes the right to seek pardon or commutation of sentence in all cases.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
As delivered by Ambassador Daniel B. Baer to the Permanent Council, Vienna | June 23, 2016
