Joe Kelly & Stephen Fitzpatrick; 31/10/08 (2 Items)
Lawyers representing Australians on death row in Indonesia have urged the Rudd Government to signal its in-principle opposition to the imminent execution of the Bali bombers, or risk being “objectively identified as hypocrites” across Asia. Colin McDonald QC, who represents Bali Nine member Scott Rush, said the Rudd Government needed to speak with one voice in condemning capital punishment or it would be harder to save Australian lives in the future. “In practical terms, it makes it so much harder to save the lives of Australian citizens when there is apparent political ambivalence about the carrying-out of the death penalty overseas,” he said. Kevin Rudd told Neil Mitchell yesterday on Melbourne Radio 3AW that his Government was “universally opposed to the death penalty”, but would intervene only “in the case of Australian citizens”.
See: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24579351-2702,00.html
Cold-blooded murder
31/10/08: http://blogs.theaustralian.news.com.au/letters/index.php/ theaustralian/comments/cold_blooded_murder/
There is nothing more sickening than the bloody deaths, gory mutilations and lifelong injuries caused by the Bali bombers unless it is the chilling anticipation of their executions. No matter how it is codified, ritualised or legitimised, state-sanctioned execution is cold-blooded murder and it is truly sickening. Irene Buckler; Glenwood, NSW
Tags: Australia, Capital Punishment, Indonesia