The State of Texas executed Derrick Charles on May 11. Mr. Charles was convicted of killing his girlfriend, Myiesha Bennett, her mother, Brenda Bennett, and her grandfather, Obie Lee Bennett, in 2002.
The United States respects the concerns of its friends around this table. We reiterate 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 OSCE Permanent Council, Vienna
