U.N. MORATORIUM

Rome, March 30th 2001: Hands Off Cain will again be at the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva to support a resolution on a moratorium on capital executions together with a special guest: Oliviero Toscani. The objective is to reinforce the abolitionist initiative in light of a new presentation to the UN General Assembly.
Oliviero Toscani, who caused controversy towards a similar French initiative which, after inviting him to a press conference at the Assemblè Nationale withdrew the invite as the presence of the famous photographer could have raised objections, reaffirmed his convictions that the abolitionist moves are those which occur with and at the United Nations and that he would not participate at the meeting in France. Toscani declared: “I ask myself whether the organisers of this initiative want to really abolish the death penalty or if they would rather create an opportunity for the political lime-light”.
Segio d’Elia, Secretary General of Hands Off Cain commented: “I am not surprised at what has happened. The so-called respectable left, both in Europe and in Italy, would like to abolish the death penalty only up to a certain point. We were also aware of this when in 1999 the European Union decided to withdraw at the last minute the resolution for a moratorium from the General Assembly, so as to avoid its approval. It is for this reason that Toscani, the only person to have really made the international public stop and think, is considered even by the Europeans as an unwanted presence.”