Thank you Mr. Chair, and thank you to our colleagues from Norway and other delegations for raising their concerns.
As noted, on October 29, the State of Florida executed Jerry Correll for the 1985 murder of his ex-wife Susan Correll, their five-year-old daughter Tuesday, Susan’s mother Mary Lou Hines, and her sister Marybeth Jones.
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 OSCE Permanent Council, Vienna
