For Immediate Release: Contact: AIUSA Press Office
February 16, 2004 (202) 544-0200 x 302

"The act I committed to put me here was not just heinous, it was senseless. But the person that committed that act is no longer here. I'm sorry that John Luttig died. And I'm sorry that it was something in me that caused all of this to happen to begin with. Tonight, we tell the world that there are no second chances in the eyes of justice. No one wins tonight. No one gets closure. No one walks away victorious."
(Washington, DC) –Today, thousands of students from around the world embark on a week of activities designed to bring heightened scrutiny to the issue of executing child offenders -- those under 18 years of age at the time of the crime. Amnesty International's movement-wide initiative, the International Week of Student Action, focuses on the juvenile death penalty and is part of the human rights organization's two-year campaign to end juvenile executions throughout the world.

"For the next seven days, students will stand in solidarity with their counterparts from around the world and add their voices to the tens of thousands of people already calling for an end to the indecent and internationally illegal practice of executing child offenders," said Sue Gunawardena-Vaughn, Director of Amnesty International USA's Program to Abolish the Death Penalty. "Their spirited struggle to create a just world in which the rights of all children everywhere are protected is truly inspirational."

Activists in more than 30 countries will carry out a wide range of actions, including writing letters to government authorities in the United States and Pakistan and demonstrating in front of embassies. Noteworthy activities include radio and television programs in the Netherlands, debates in Tanzanian schools and colleges, a football tournament in Venezuela, and exhibitions and film screenings in a variety of educational institutions in Hong Kong.

In the USA, more than 450 student groups in 47 states will coordinate educational programs and facilitate opportunities to take action against the practice of juvenile executions. From a formal college debate at the University of Arizona to a "Rhythm and Rights Concert" in Wisconsin, students and young activists are highlighting their cause by capitalizing on recent national developments concerning the execution of child offenders. Last month, the United States Supreme Court announced it will review the constitutionality of juvenile executions and there is also pending legislation in many states to raise the minimum age for capital punishment to eighteen.

"Despite such progress, it is imperative that we not lose sight of the urgency with which we must abolish the juvenile death penalty altogether," said Gunawardena-Vaughn. "The scheduled executions of four child offenders in Texas are quickly approaching and we must raise our voices to shed light on this shameful practice now."

Amnesty International has documented executions of child offenders in eight countries since 1990: China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United States of America and Yemen. Since 2000, 15 executions of child offenders have taken place in the world, nine of which were in the USA.

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