This interview is copyright-free for publication by your media

Interview with Renate Wohlwend about the campaign to abolish the death penalty in the USA and Japan - Unusual conference in the Far East (02.06. 2001)

“Washington and Tokyo must also recognise Council of Europe standards”

The Council of Europe is demanding that the United States and Japan abolish the death penalty. In a widely publicised decision in June 2001, the Council’s Parliamentary Assembly threatened that the two countries’ observer status could be withdrawn unless they made significant progress by January 2003 towards abolishing the death penalty. In Tokyo, a Council of Europe conference has just been held on the subject with Japanese parliamentarians and Justice Minister Mayumi Moriyama. The interview below is with Renate Wohlwend, Chair of the Parliamentary Assembly’s Legal Affairs Committee’s Sub-Committee on Human Rights. The Conservative politician from Liechtenstein is a member of the Group of the European People’s Party.

Question : It seems unusual for the Council of Europe to be holding a conference on the other side of the globe with a view to achieving the abolition of the death penalty in Japan. How did these efforts so far from Strasbourg come to pass?

Renate Wohlwend : Council of Europe members like Russia and Ukraine, which were required to respect the ban on the death penalty set out in Protocol No 6 to the Human Rights Convention, asked us at the time: why are the United States and Japan, which are regarded as defenders of democracy and human rights, allowed to do what you are telling us not to do? In summer 2001, the Parliamentary Assembly therefore called on these two states to comply with the Human Rights Convention, with its ban on capital punishment - observer states are also required to recognise Council of Europe standards. The conference in Tokyo was the first step towards putting the resolution into practice and beginning political dialogue with Japan about this sensitive issue.

Question : Are the Japanese not bound to regard this move in Strasbourg as unacceptable interference in their internal affairs? Or were Japanese politicians open to the Council of Europe’s ideas?

Renate Wohlwend : Justice Minister Mayumi Moriyama did, indeed, use the words “interference”. Her reactions were reserved in personal contacts, too. And the “Forum 90” human rights association pointed out during the conference that executions had taken place in a quite demonstrative fashion immediately after our June 2001 vote. At the same time, it was clear that Japanese parliamentarians are using our initiative in support of their own campaign against the death penalty - as a means of getting any political debate at all off the ground in their country. Unlike the situation in the United States, there is almost no debate about the issue in the Japanese media. However, many journalists did attend our press conference in Tokyo.

Question : Do you see any concrete signs in Japan of a move towards the abolition of the death penalty or, at least, a moratorium on executions?

Renate Wohlwend : There has already been a de facto moratorium in Japan once before. One of the current Justice Minister’s predecessors simply refused to countersign death sentences, thereby preventing executions from taking place. The question of a moratorium was discussed in detail at the conference in Tokyo, and I do hope that there might be some progress next year. That would be a first sign, and it would also prevent the supporters of the death penalty losing face. However, moves in this direction are more likely to come from parliamentarians than from the government. The “League for the Abolition of the Death Penalty” is active in the Japanese parliament and has already been joined by 120 parliamentarians.

Question : Do you also intend taking action regarding the United States?

Renate Wohlwend : We are in the process of organising several seminars in the United States in the autumn. That is somewhat difficult in Washington itself, as there is no group like the Japanese league in the US Congress. However, our Parliamentary Assembly’s Legal Affairs Committee is preparing a seminar in the American capital in co-operation with the civil rights association, the Centre for Democracy. We are planning similar events in three states, possibly Virginia (where the death penalty is enforced), Wisconsin (where it has been abolished) and Maryland (where there is a moratorium on executions). We are aiming, above all, at parliamentarians, but we are also counting on the media.

Question : As the world’s leading superpower, is the United States prepared to listen to the Council of Europe at all?

Renate Wohlwend: If I thought otherwise, I would not be making such great efforts. I also believe that Washington has an interest in retaining observer status in Strasbourg - as a means of demonstrating internationally its links with an institution whose fundamental purpose is defending democracy and human rights.

Question: In January, the Parliamentary Assembly is due to check whether the United States and Japan have complied with the Council of Europe’s call to make significant progress towards abolishing the death penalty. Is the intention possibly to withdraw observer status really serious?

Renate Wohlwend : Our vote in June 2001 was not just posturing: we do want to exert pressure. At the same time, it is unlikely that we will take a decision about observer status in January. However, one thing is also clear: if the two countries ignore the Council of Europe’s demands completely, then action will have to be taken. I hope very much that both will at least send positive signals to Strasbourg.