El Salvador: Call to members of Legislative Assembly urging them to oppose amendment to expand use of the death penalty

Index Number: AMR 29/004/1997
Date Published: 31 March 1997
Categories: Americas, El Salvador

In an open letter to the Legislative Assembly referring to the pending ratification of the Constitutional amendment to extend the use of the death penalty, Amnesty International reiterates its unconditional opposition to the death penalty. This document briefly presents Amnesty International's arguments against the death penalty, namely that it is the ultimate violation of the right to life, that it has not shown itself to be effective as a deterrent, and that El Salvador would be in breach of its obligations under the American Convention on Human Rights (ACHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) if it were to extend the scope of the death penalty.