BARBADOS: DEATH PENALTY STAYS, SAYS SINCKLER

Barbados reaffirmed its decision to maintain the death penalty. Minister of Social Care, Constituency Empowermnent, Urban and Rural Development, Chris Sinckler, reconfirmed this position as he defended the island's human rights record before the United Nations Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review process at the UN in Geneva, Switzerland. Sinckler said the Barbados Government had neither mission nor mandate from its people to abolish the death penalty as was being called for by a number of countries of the council. "It is a part of the legal system of Barbados and would remain so until further notice, but obviously there was not a clear desire in the country for abolition of the death penalty."