Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Tashkent (Agenzia Fides) - The first good news of 2008, that Uzbekistan has abolished the death penalty, was received with special joy by the small Catholic community in the country as a step towards greater respect for human dignity and rights. The decision, foreseen by a presidential decree dated 1 August 2005, was confirmed by the Supreme Court.
Uzbekistan is the 134th abolitionist country in the world and the 3rd in central Asia, after Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan. Local Catholic missionaries say the moratorium approved by the United Nations last December pushed forward the process in Uzbekistan. The history making decision follows last year's abolition of the death penalty in Kyrgystan and is inscribed in Kazakhstan's path towards moratorium and abolition of the death penalty.
The event was built up in recent years: the government of Uzbekistan started a two year course 2005-2007 to prepare for the abolition of the death penalty. To be noted work of pressing and awareness building on the part of Uzbeki abolitionists, especially the movement of Mothers Against the Death Penalty (formed of relations of condemned prisoners), founded by Tamara Chikunova, who worked with the community of S. Egidio to increase public awareness national and international to defend the condemned to death and promote proper legal defence in Uzbekistan. Since 2002, Tamara Chikunova and S. Egidio community have worked for the abolition of the capital punishment in Uzbekistan and in all central Asia, together with the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty. In recent years abolition activists saved at least 21 condemned persons from execution. S. Egidio community praised the government of Uzbekistan for performing “a highly civil act which honours the country and represents a decisive contribution to more human justice in the world”.
The small community of about 4.000 Catholics in Uzbek territory prayed intensely and welcomed with joy the news of the abolition “God is the source and the author of all life and no one has the tight to take the life of another person”. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 10/1/2008 righe 27 parole 274)
