Topic:
Country: Spain
Delegate Name: Mikey Beusse
Human Rights Council
Use of the Death Penalty
Spain
Mikey Beusse
The use of Capital Punishment has been debated for many years. ⅔ of countries in the world still use the death penalty while ⅓ of countries have completely outlawed it or under extremely special circumstances, so there is much debate on whether or not it should be used. Even though many countries differ in their stance concerning capital punishment, no international law has been set regarding strict restrictions or when it can be practiced. However, there have been statements from the Office of Human Rights and the UN Human Rights Chief stating that there should be an abolishment of capital punishment, and have called out countries that allow the death penalty. Countries that do use this punishment have not been very compliant with the standards that have been set regarding this issue. The reason why the death penalty has not been banned universally is partially due to respecting the practicing countries’ cultural and religious beliefs.
Spain is among the ⅓ of the world that has stricken down capital punishment unless used in times of war when they first became a country. This was changed however in 1997 when the Spanish Parliament banned the use of capital punishment in all circumstances. Spain’s last encounter with using the death penalty was in 1975 when 2 members of a separatist group and 3 members of the Revolutionary Antifascist Patriotic Front were executed by the use of a firing squad. This was the last instance of capital punishment in Spain.
Spain believes that the death penalty is not something that should be practiced or used in the world. The use of such an act is a violation of basic human rights established in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This established, in Article III, that “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.” Since this Declaration was adopted and created by the United Nations, all nations should follow these standards. The death penalty goes directly against what we as the United Nations have established as human rights and should not be practiced.
