Document - Guatemala: Further information on death penalty: Proposed resumption of executions

PUBLIC AI Index: AMR 34/012/2008

09 May 2008

Further Information on UA 51/08 (AMR 34/004/2008, 27 February 2008) and follow-ups (AMR 34/009/2008, 18 March 2008; AMR 34/010/2008, 28 March 2008) – Death Penalty

GUATEMALA Proposed resumption of executions

The one-month deadline, before which the Guatemalan Congress could have overridden a Presidential veto on a bill that would have allowed the resumption of executions, expired on 5 May. This means there is no longer any immediate danger of executions being resumed.

Congress had approved the bill (Decree 06-2008) on 12 February, but it was vetoed by President Álvaro Colomon 14 March.

No further action is requested from the UA network. Thank you very much to all who sent appeals. The local network of human rights organizations working on the death penalty has received more than 1,200 copies of your emails, letters and faxes to the authorities.