FIRST ONLINE CAMPAIGN TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY

Hands off Cain wants to give a “face, a name and dignity” to death row inmates the world over, association secretary Sergio D’Elia said at the launch of the campaign at Rome’s largest Internet cafe.
“Internet will allow us to cross frontiers and access those countries which are otherwise inaccessible to human rights’ promoters.”
Signatures collected online through all the websites hosting the campaign banner will be presented to the UN to urge for a resolution stopping all executions in countries that still retain the death penalty.
The campaign banner, created by Oliviero Toscani, who was responsible for the Benetton 2000 campaign featuring American death inmates, We, on death row, is being hosted by Nexta.com’s ten websites.
“We invite Internet sites to ‘rob’ us of this initiative and host this banner,” CEO Piero Muscarà said.
In fact Internet entrepreneur Nichi Grauso has already announced the adhesion of his 70,000 active web-sites to the campaign.
And support came from all sides as well-known Italian actors, writers, film directors, sportsmen, musicians and journalists were among the first to sing the appeal at the launch.
“My conscience brought me here,” said Roma and Italy football star Damiano Tommasi.
“A death row inmate, a few years ago, had said ‘I hope my execution will be the snowball that starts the avalanche which will destroy the death penalty’. Well, I hope my signature will be a snowflake in this avalanche.”
Horror filmmaker Dario Argento warned Italians not to rest on their laurels as a staunchly anti-death penalty nation.
“Strange political influences may come into power and reverse our progress. We must remain vigilant.”
Journalist and commentator Giampiero Mughini called the death penalty “an atrocity which shames the human race.”
Sandro Veronesi, a young Italian novelist who spent three years researching the death penalty, testified, “everything about the death penalty is horrible, everything is degrading.”
Radio 24’s General Director Giancarlo Santalmassi warned that the death penalty does not really distinguish between the guilty and the innocent.
“We mustn’t make the error of believing that innocence can stop the executioner’s hand. The death penalty is barbarous in itself.”
Rapper Frankie Hi-nrg and Flaminio Maphia, a Roman pop group big with local youths, represented the music scene.
“There’s only one person who has the right to decide when we leave this world,” said Flaminio Maphia’s Max, pointing a finger to the sky.
Ex-model and actress Zeudi Araya, film-director Giuliano Montaldo, and Italy volleyball star Andrea Gardini also showed up to give their support and sign the appeal.
Top model Eva Herzigova and Italian rock star Vasco Rossi are the latest in the list of celebrities to support the moratorium.