The Democratic Republic of Congo abstained from the...

The Democratic Republic of Congo abstained from the resolution on the death penalty approved by the UN Commission on Human Rights on April 28 (1999/61).The Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions said that numerous reports continue to be received about violations of the right to life in the country, most of them concerning the alleged killing of Rwandan refugees by the country's security forces. Furthermore, over 50 people were reportedly condemned to death in 1998 in military court trials that allegedly did not meet the international standards for judicial proceedings. Additionally, persons attempting to aid the refugees or report human rights abuses are often targeted for killing.