Europe's leading human rights institution threatened...

Europe's leading human rights institution threatened to revoke observer status from the United States and Japan unless they stop all executions "without delay" and move to repeal the death penalty. The Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly passed a resolution saying the 2 countries should be removed as observers at the 43-nation organization unless they make "significant progress" on abolishing executions by Jan. 1, 2003. While it would have little practical effect, loss of their status could be embarrassing for Japan and the United States, which was voted off the U.N. Human Rights Commission last month. The resolution of the 602-member assembly called for an immediate moratorium on executions as well as steps to improve conditions for death-row prisoners. The abolition of capital punishment has been a condition for full membership in the Council of Europe since 1994. The United States, Japan, Mexico and Canada have been observers since 1996.