Burundi signed the letter, dated 22 July 1999, addressed...

Burundi signed the letter, dated 22 July 1999, addressed to the President of the Economic and Social Council, in which the retentionist countries dissociated from the Commission on Human Rights resolution 1999/61 on the question of the death penalty.Burundi was a cosponsor of the amendments presented by Egypt (A/C.3/54/L.31 and L.32) to the resolution on the death penalty presented by the European Union at the 54th UN General Assembly. At the 55th UN Commission on Human Rights, Mr Pinheiro, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burundi, noted with satisfaction the efforts made by the authorities to promote the peace process, but denounced a number of human rights' violations. There had in fact been widespread violations of the right to life. The unarmed civilian population continued to be subject to massacres, summary executions, forced or involuntary disappearances, arbitrary detention, torture, rape and other forms of sexual abuse, and mistreatment of prisoners. Women and children were particularly vulnerable. Some 260 persons facing the death penalty were being held in almost inhuman conditions; most of them had received no legal assistance whatsoever during often hasty trials. Mr Pinheiro solemnly and urgently appealed to the authorities to fully protect the rights of persons facing the death penalty and called upon them to announce a moratorium on future executions. The Special Rapporteur jointly with Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions transmitted an urgent appeal to Burundi, but had no replies.