Friends,
On Thursday evening in the state of Georgia in the US, Troy Davis was executed. Final appeals to halt the execution were filed with the Georgia and US Supreme Courts by Troy Davis’ attorney. The Georgia Supreme Court rejected the appeal shortly before 7pm local time, when the execution was due to take place. The US Supreme court issued a temporary reprieve to consider the appeal which it rejected without comments, leading to a four hour delay in the implementation of the death sentence.
Because of Amnesty International, Troy’s story is known around the world. It is incredibly painful that the struggle to save Troy’s life was unsuccessful. But it is important to recognise that by engaging in the campaign to save him, Amnesty International was able to bring the issue of the death penalty into the public discourse in the United States and elsewhere. Over 300 events and vigils were held over the last few days around the world for Troy. Nearly a million people signed the petition demanding he not be executed. Hundreds of thousands of people have tweeted for Troy Davis online. That night, activity focused on Troy was trending on Twitter. The media coverage was widespread including on CNN, BBC, the New York Times, and hundreds of other online, print, and radio outlets. This coverage allowed anti death penalty activists to make their case.
The response we generated as a movement on his behalf was so unprecedented that many of our sections have reported the highest rates on record on their websites and actions. AI UK generated so many online actions on Troy that their server was blocked by the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles. AI France, which has been a tremendous partner to the US section on this case, was out in full force in Paris on Thursday evening and received major press coverage for the case. These are just a few examples of the hundreds that are out there. In the US, vigils and demonstrations were held across the country from San Francisco to Chicago to Atlanta to New York to Boston to Washington DC.
AIUSA has expressed their deepest thanks to all of you for the work you have done to support this case in your sections. As we reflect on our loss today, we should also acknowledge that together we have worked together as a unified global movement and that our fight to abolish the death penalty will continue in an even stronger and more determined way. Because of how we have come together as Amnesty International around the world and have taken on this campaign as a movement, we have transformed the debate on the horrific practice that is the death penalty. Millions of people are talking about this today and will be for some time.
As Troy himself had reminded us, he is not alone. Over 17,000 people around the world are awaiting execution and 58 countries still retain the death penalty. In 2010, 23 countries executed people. But over the years we have made steady progress in getting executions abolished; 96 countries have abolished the death penalty and in the last four years three states in the US have also abolished.
If Troy Davis’ execution were not enough to move us to recommit to campaigning against the death penalty, three other executions within 24 hours should reinforce our commitment to challenging the death penalty in all cases — not just those in which their was ample evidence of reasonable doubt. On the same evening that Troy Davis was killed, Texas executed Lawrence Brewer, a man who bragged about the racist killing he committed. On September 21, Iran executed a 17 year old, Alireza Molla Soltani, who was not only a child but convicted of murder in a country in which due process and fair trial principles are ignored. The 4th execution on 21 September, was Syed Zahid Hussain Shah, a Pakistani national executed in China.
In his final statement before being put to death by lethal injection, Troy Davis maintained his innocence of the crime and reportedly asked his friends and family to “continue to fight this fight.” Troy Davis had earlier conveyed the following message to Amnesty International members: “The struggle for justice doesn’t end with me. This struggle is for all the Troy Davises who came before me and all the ones who will come after me. I’m in good spirits and I’m prayerful and at peace. But I will not stop fighting until I’ve taken my last breath.”
Our work now is to not only fight but to fight harder. Troy’s words in his last moment provide us with the courage and inspiration.
We have seen how powerful our movement can be when we act together and we will continue to build on this.
Salil
