OSCE human rights chief expresses dismay about execution of Troy Davis, hopes case will revive capital punishment debate in the US

WARSAW, 22 September 2011 - Ambassador Janez Lenarčič, the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), today expressed his concern and dismay about the execution of Troy Davis in the US state of Georgia.

“We are concerned about reports suggesting that due process was not fully respected in the case of Troy Davis, and that his guilt could not be proven beyond reasonable doubt,” Lenarčič said.

According to these reports, most of the witnesses who testified against Davis at his trial have recanted their testimony, and no physical evidence was found proving his guilt.

While OSCE commitments do not require the abolition of the death penalty, OSCE participating States have committed themselves to carry out the death penalty only for the most serious crimes in accordance with the law in force at the time of the commission of the crime and in a manner not contrary to their international commitments. They have also agreed to keep the question of capital punishment under consideration.

In the OSCE area, only the United States and Belarus continue carrying out executions.

Lenarčič expressed the hope that this case will reinvigorate discussion on the question of capital punishment at the federal level and in those 34 states that retain the death penalty.