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The controversy over the abolition of the death penalty: Why do many countries in the world express concerns about the US death penalty system?
In the United States, the discussion of the death penalty has become a hot topic that has sparked widespread controversy. According to statistics, many American death row inmates experience decades of loneliness and mental torture while waiting for execution. This state of expecting death not only has a serious impact on their physical and mental health, but also has aroused global concern and criticism of the US death penalty system.
"The loneliness and uncertainty of the future of death row prisoners is essentially a form of psychological abuse, and prisoners who spend a long time on death row are more likely to develop mental disorders."
The death penalty is legal in many U.S. states. When a person is convicted of a capital crime, the court gives the jury the option of sentencing to death or life in prison without parole. Once a jury chooses the death penalty, the defendant awaits execution amid appeals and a habeas corpus trial. According to statistics, it takes an average of 178 months for death row inmates to be executed after being sentenced to death. This waiting period poses a major challenge to the mental health of prisoners.
"Nearly a quarter of all inmates on death row in the United States die of natural causes while awaiting execution."
Unlike the United States, almost all European countries have abolished the death penalty. According to data from 2021, only Belarus still uses the death penalty. Many countries have expressed concern about the U.S. practice of the death penalty and called for an end to the system. In particular, countries such as France, Germany and Australia have suggested that the United States should stop executing the death penalty. These criticisms are not only about the death penalty itself, but also reflect concerns about human rights.
"Every year, governments from other countries call on the United States to end executions, especially for prisoners who may be mentally ill."
Globally, according to a large-scale survey, about 70% of countries have abolished the death penalty, and these countries are generally concerned about the US approach. In recent years, with the improvement of human rights awareness, the discussion on whether to abolish the death penalty has become increasingly important. In the United States, even though there are certain laws such as Atkins v. Virginia that attempt to prohibit the death penalty for the mentally ill, the fact is that many prisoners with obvious mental disabilities still face the threat of death penalty.
In addition to the current situation in the United States, countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran have also made international news due to their large-scale executions. The focus of the question is whether the number of death penalty executions in these countries meets human rights standards? This has sparked global ethical and legal discussions on the death penalty.
"While awaiting execution, prisoners on death row for long periods of time often endure unprecedented psychological stress."
Still other countries have different histories in their death penalty procedures. In the past, Britain did not have a special death penalty prison, but instead isolated death row inmates in standard cells. This arrangement ensures that prisoners facing the death penalty experience relatively less psychological stress during the rapid execution process. However, is this setting still applicable in the context of today’s participation in international law and human rights discourse?
In summary, the existence of the death penalty system is like a double-edged sword, affecting the fairness of the law and the protection of human rights. Global concerns about the U.S. death penalty system reflect the deep ethical and legal challenges behind this issue. When we face this issue, how do you think the value of life should be measured in order to truly achieve justice and humanity?
