In response to the execution of Oscar Smith by the state of Tennessee, Justin Mazzola, Deputy Director of Research for Amnesty International USA said:
“After more than five years without carrying out an execution, the state of Tennessee took a shameful step in the wrong direction by executing Oscar Smith. Instead of restarting the machinery of death after such a long pause, it is disappointing that the state didn’t use this time to work towards abolishing this archaic practice.
“We oppose the death penalty in all cases, without exception. It is a violation of the right to life and is the ultimate cruel, inhuman, and degrading punishment. We will never stop working to abolish it.
“Oscar Smith’s case, like so many others on death row, raises serious and unresolved concerns: inconclusive forensic evidence, juror bias and misconduct, and questions about whether he received a fair trial. Under international law, capital proceedings must scrupulously observe fair trial guarantees and conform to the highest standards of independence, competence, objectivity and impartiality of judges and juries. The carrying out of a death sentence after a trial in which such guarantees have not been respected constitutes a violation of the right to life.
“Today’s execution was not justice. The death penalty is never justice. Most of the world has moved away from this cruel practice. It is past time for Tennessee — and other states in the U.S. that still use the death penalty – to abolish this horrific punishment once and for all.”
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