In a statement issued to commemorate International...

In a statement issued to commemorate International Human Rights Day, Amnesty International Jamaica described capital punishment as cruel, inhumane and degrading punishment, stating that it opposes without reservation, the death penalty and views plans to reinstate hangings in Jamaica as a backward step. Spokesman Maurice Saunders said the resumption of hangings would signal the state's disregard for life. "The state is not setting an example as to the importance of life, especially when the state itself takes life, when it is not being done in self-defence," argued Saunders.