This World Day Against the Death Penalty, we're happy to release an abridged version of the Death Penalty India Report in Hindi. It documents the socio economic profiles of all death row prisoners in India & their interaction with the crl. justice system drive.google.com/file/d/1EiibJB…
The report demonstrated a disparate impact of the death penalty on the most marginalised. 76% of India's prisoners sentenced to death belonged to marginalised socio-economic background. #WorldDayAgainstDeathPenalty#DeathPenalty
Production before a Magistrate within 24 hrs of arrest is a fundamental right under Article 22(1) of the Constitution, considered integral to the liberty of persons. 64.3% prisoners (166 out of 258 prisoners) said that they were not produced before a Magistrate within 24 hours.
Article 22(1) of the Constitution guarantees right of every arrested person to consult a legal practitioner of her choice. 97% prisoners did not have a lawyer at the time of interrogation. 89.4% prisoners did not have a lawyer at the time of first production before the Magistrate
Majority of prisoners were tortured and the methods employed were inhuman, degrading and inflicted immense physical and mental suffering. 80% prisoners (216 out of 270) admitted to have suffered torture in police custody. #WorldDayAgainstDeathPenalty#DeathPenalty
70.2% of the prisoners said their lawyers did not discuss case with them. 76.7% of the prisoners who spoke regarding meetings with trial court lawyers said they never met their lawyers outside court & the interaction in court was perfunctory. #WorldDayAgainstDeathPenalty
Only 4.9% death sentences imposed at trial courts between 2000 to 2015 were ultimately confirmed by the Supreme Court. The remaining resulted in commutation or acquittal. #WorldDayAgainstDeathPenalty#DeathPenalty
Here is a reminder about the urgent need to end the cruel and inhumane practice of death penalty in India. A video illustration inspired by our Death Penalty India Report.