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In the prisons of the United States, more than 3,500 condemned prisoners are
waiting today to be put to death : men and women, minors and the mentally
handicapped, some of them innocent. Since 1999 the rate of executions
has accelerated; it will soon amount to several hundred a year. It is
the height of injustice that the majority of those to be executed were
born in poverly and belong for the most part to ethnic mi,orities.We Europeans
have also had to live with death penalty. But every European democracy
has now dispensed with it. There are of course domains in Europe where
progress needs to be made, for instance making prisons more humane and
in increasing the effectiveness of our policies of sentencing and incarceration
as factors of social rehabilitation. But the death penalty is the keystone
of inhuman judicial procedure. We want to see it either abolished worldwide
or subjected to a universally decreed moratorium
In november,
2000 the United States will elect a new president. Abolishing the death
penalty should become a major issue in the campaign. It is unthinkable
that the United States either remain a member of the club of nations that
apply it massively (China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan) or be the
last democracy that continues to execute condemned prisoners
Your country is the most powerfull in the world. You often claim that
it is a model for humanity. We appeal to you as friends, with the critical
sympathy that is the mark of true friendship. The death penalty is the
symbol of an archaic mode of justice; what's more, it is totally undissuasive.
By abolishing it or by declaring an immediate moratorium on it, you will
enable many convicetd prisoners to have at last the right to a proper
trial and you will save innocent persons from an unjust death. You will
bring the Declaration of Independance into American prisons. Americans,
do what other civilized democraties have already done : abolish the death
penalty

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Under the patronage of
Mrs. Nicole Fontaine, President of the European Parliament,
Mr. Raymond Forni, President of the French National Assembly

Together against the death penalty in the USA

Because our cultural and economic ties with the United States
are too strong for us not to feel implicated,
because we refuse to believe that Europe and its leaders have only the power to remain silent...

Together against the death penalty
Phone: 33 (1) 40 09 13 09 Fax: 33 (1) 40 09 74 09
5, rue Primatice 75013 Paris, France – 1901 Law Association

Visit our Website:

www.ecart-type.com

partners:
A Marie Claire initiative

Since May 2000, the magazine has been publishing a page denouncing the US executions

l’écart
a committed publisher at the forefront of current events

Together against the death penalty in the USA.

The Association “Together against the death penalty in the USA” has two major objectives:
? The financial support of two of the largest US associations that provide investigative assistance to individuals sentenced to death after an unfair trial : David Protess’ “Innocence Network” (Illinois) and “Texas Defender Services”, created by Mike Charlton, Odell Barnes’ attorney.
? Alert the European public opinion and launch an awareness campaign in the US media at the time of the new President’s investiture.
Donations and profits generated by the sale of the book “Open letter to the Americans to end the death penalty” (published by l’écart) will be used to finance these two objectives.
The association’s account is:
Crédit Lyonnais – 205, rue de Tolbiac 75013 Paris – account # 474/7256Q

Contacts

? Partners, public relations, press: 33 (1) 40 09 13 09
? Organization: 33 (1) 55 43 88 83
? Networks and associations: 33 (1) 40 09 13 09
Program
Wednesday
October 4, 2000 Launch of the worldwide cyber-petition
www.ecart-type.com

Thursday
October 12, 2000 Preview in Paris of Lars von Trier’s movie “Dancer in the Dark”, winner of the Cannes 2000 Palme d’Or

Saturday
October 21, 2000 European Forum in Paris – La Mutualité
chaired by Mr. Robert Badinter,
attended by major European and American representatives of the political, judicial and art worlds

Monday
November 13, 2000 Concert at the Bobino Theatre
Songs against the death penalty

Sunday
January 21, 2000 Handing in of the petition to the American Government upon the investiture of the new President

Honorary Committee

The first members of the Honorary Committee, chaired by Mrs. Tina Kiefer, Editorial Director of Marie Claire, are Mr. Robert Badinter, Maître Henri Leclerc, Maître Philippe Lemaire, Mrs. Danielle Mitterrand – supported by numerous other key figures.
European Forum

For a European initiative against the death penalty in the USA

Under the patronage of
Mrs. Nicole Fontaine, President of the European Parliament,
Mr. Raymond Forni, President of the French National Assembly

Saturday, October 21, 2000
Maison de la Mutualité
Rue St-Victor Paris V

10:00 a.m. First coordination meeting of the European associations fighting the death penalty
12:30 p.m. Press cocktail with the Forum speakers
2:00 p.m. Opening speech
by Mr. Raymond Forni
2:30 p.m. Presentation by Michel Taube, President of ECPM
Tribute to Mr. Robert Badinter
2:45 p.m. Round Table 1: The American exception

Speakers:
Jim Marcus and Maurice Levin, trial lawyers for Texan inmates under sentence of death, explain, based on Odell Barnes’ case, the flaws of the American judicial system.
Bianca Jagger, American activist, gives an update of abolitionist actions in the US.
Jacques Derrida, Philosopher (to be confirmed), explains the American cultural singularities. “DNA testing, hope for a moratorium” of the Project of Innocence association, that helped obtain the release of several innocent prisoners, wrongly condemned to death, with DNA tests.
15:45 Testimonial by Kerry Cook, condemned to death and proved innocent after 22 years of incarceration

4:00 p.m. Round Table 2: The European civilian society’s role towards the American people
* The media’s function
Tina Kieffer, Editorial Director of Marie Claire
The New York Times and Newsweek (to be confirmed) explain the American media’s position and how it might evolve.

* The associations’ function
Manon Van den Berg, Dutch militant, who is sponsoring several Americans on death row.
Colette Berthès, President of “Lutte pour la justice”( Fighting for justice) and author of “La machine à tuer” (The killing machine) – Les arènes, describes her fight with and for Odell Barnes
Michel Tubiana, President of the League of Human Rights

5:00 p.m. Portrait of David Protess, Professor of Journalism, head of a team of students who obtained the release of several prisoners condemned to death

5:15 p.m. Round Table 3: For a European initiative towards Americans

Chaired by Mr. Robert Badinter
Numerous European Members of Parliament plan to ask the European Council (chaired by France) to adopt a European initiative towards Americans.

First participants:
Mrs. Nicole Fontaine, President of the European Parliament (to be confirmed)
Mrs. Emma Bonino, member of the European Parliament

6:15 p.m. Conclusions by Mr. Robert Badinter
Announcement of upcoming campaign events
6:45 p.m. Donations are handed overto the two American attorneys
7:00 p.m. Daniel Auteuil recites Lacernaire’s “Répétition” (to be confirmed)

Together against the death penalty in the USA.
Cyber-petition
www.ecart-type.com
Our objectives:
? The financial support of two US associations that provide assistance to individuals sentenced to death.
? Launch an awareness campaign in the US media at the time of the new President’s investiture in January 2001

Petition / Fundraising

Today over 3,500 people - men, women, but also minors and mental patients, some of which are innocent - await death in American prisons. The rhythm of executions has steadily increased since 1999: soon several hundred inmates will be executed each year. Worse, many of those in death row come from disadvantaged backgrounds, and most belong to minorities.
Europe once enforced the death penalty, but it has been abolished in all democratic European countries. There are still many projects to humanize prisons and adopt criminal and penitentiary policies that improve the efficiency of rehabilitation. But the death penalty is the keystone and the symbol of inhuman justice! We want to see it disappear from the face of the earth or have a universal moratorium declared.
In November 2000, the United States will elect their new President. Ending the death penalty must become a major campaign feature. The United States can neither side with those who apply it massively (China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan) nor remain the last democracy still to execute prisoners!

“Dear Americans
You are the leading global power and often try to set a model for humanity. We are approaching you as a friendly, close country, and, as a true friend, must be critical. The death penalty is the symbol of archaic justice, and is furthermore a non dissuasive sentence. By abolishing it, or at least declaring an immediate moratorium, you will allow numerous prisoners to at last have a fair trial and prevent the death of innocent people. You will take the principles of your Declaration of Independence into American prisons.
Americans, do what the other civilized democracies did:
Abolish the death penalty!”

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Make out your donation checks to ECPM
FRF100
FRF200
FRF500
Other
And send petitions to “Together against the death penalty” 5, rue Primatice 75013 Paris, France.

Visit our Website: www.ecart-type.com
Together against the death penalty in the USA.

The Internet can help save inmates under sentence of death in the United States...

www.ecart-type.com

launch of a global cyber-petition
October 4, 2000 at 4:00 p.m.

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Reiner Stensgaard Goldau
Dove Prison Ministry International
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Page Updated Sat Apr 7, 2001 3:01pm EDT