Escaping shelling that people being slaughtered left family members behind and came here for their safety. They fear that because of lack of telecommunication and because of lack of access to many parts of take, great, they cant confirm whether their relatives who theyve left behind are still alive or not. But most of them say that when they came here, they had to wait for more than a week to be able to access aid and aid aid groups and international organizations. Say that thats largely because this influx of refugees happened. All of us had a Turkish Court has handed down hundreds of life sentences for those accused of plotting to overthrow president 4 years ago, as one of the biggest cases related to the failed coup with 475 suspects. Was argentina has begun 3 days of National Mourning for one of its greatest ever football players. Diego maradonas body is lying in state health to dying of a heart attack on wednesday. At least a 1000000 people are expected to pay their respects. Germany is imposing Strict Lockdown measures as it struggles to suppress a 2nd wave of corona. Virus infections from december private gatherings will be restricted to 5 people increasing to 10. During christmas. The chancellor Angela Merkel has warned that white measures are likely to continue into january bars and restaurants are closed. Schools and some shops remain open. Police in paris are investigating allegations that a black music producer was physically attacked and racially abused by officers. The incident was recorded by c. C. T. V. Inside the mans studio. He told reporters that police followed him in after seeing him outside without a face mask. 3 officers involved have been suspended. Here today, the headlines here announcer got more news coming up right after inside story. After that, so the Death Penalty be abolished worldwide. The u. S. Allows for more than that its executing inmates. As nearly 40 countries reject the latest u. N. Resolution against the practice. So as Capital Punishment still favored in many places, this is a welcome to the program. Im in iraq on the Death Penalty is undoubtedly one of the most controversial issues around the world. Its been abolished in much of the world. Its still carried out and at least 54. 00 countries, including china and the United States. For decades, the u. S. Has used lethal injections takes to keep those convicted of certain crimes, but the Justice Department is now allowed more methods including firing squad and electrocution. The u. S. Constitution, however, strictly bans what it describes as cruel and unusual punishment Rights Groups accuse the trumpet, ministration of rushing to execute 5 inmates before the president s term ends. In january. Last week the u. S. Was one of 39 countries that rejected a u. N. Resolution for a moratorium on Capital Punishment, but with 120. 00 votes in favor, the General Assembly is expected to adult the measure next month, the u. N. Secretary general has said the Death Penalty has no place in the 21st century. Now honesty, International Says more than 26600, people are known to be on death row around the world. It recorded at least 657 executions in 20 countries. Last year. Iran saudi arabia iraq, and egypt accounted for more than 86 percent of all Capital Punishment last year. The us is ranked 6th of the total number of executions with 22. 00. But Rights Groups say that china is the worlds biggest executioner, with thousands believed to be killed every year. Beijing doesnt release Death Penalty figures lets welcome our panel of guests all joining us on skype in melbourne. Stephanie mcclellan, a senior manager, asia, and initiatives for Human Rights Watch and tehran, hamad and professor of Political Science at tehran, university, and import rush, northern ireland, inwards author of surviving execution, a miscarriage of justice, and the fight to end the Death Penalty. A welcome to you all, id like to begin in tehran with a 100 or so if you actually support the Death Penalty. Why do you think it makes such a terror . And well, i think the 1st issue here is we have to look at every country separately. I dont think we can have a general rule for the entire globe regarding Capital Punishment. The latest data on iran, the World Values Survey which was actually conducted in 2020. So. d its very recent, ask the iranians, what they thought of Capital Punishment would. It was on a scale of 1. 00 to 10. 00 with one to be never suitable, and 10 being always suitable over 80 percent of iranians actually chose a number of 5 or over. So a majority of iranians, including myself, support the Capital Punishment system, and i think it does act as a deterrent for potential Violent Crime perpetrators in i dont think just because you have certain laws in other countries, they have to be enforced in countries such as iraq just because something is popular doesnt mean its right, its still the Death Penalty that mistakes can be made and people can be executed in error. And thats pretty final. I mean, how can you justify something that isnt a 100 percent effective . Untrue, there can be errors, of course, and i mean, im not supporting any errors or actual innocent people getting killed. But at the same time, i think violent perpetrators of, of crimes such as serial killers. I think they have lego, theyre right of life by killing other innocent people. And i think the families of these victims they deserve justice. So we have to also look at this from the anglo of people who are victims, as well as their families suffering with them. What do you think our guest in tehran says its an effective deterrent, but its also something that should be up to the individual country guy. I am strongly disagree with that assertion. Its. Theres been repeated ad comments by the u. N. In this issue. Rapid soul that the Death Penalty serves no deterrent. This is no evidence to that effect whatsoever by any credible, independent, reputable source. I mean, its a barbaric form of punishment, and its absolutely nice to have this in any society. Were talking about fundamental human rights here, and id, regardless of what somebody has done or has been perceived to have done, they should never be sentenced to death. And that i prize that you in its entirety. But it is an effective deterrent, according to many of the regimes that carry out to keep societies in check as the ultimate punishment. Is that no, simply without them look, its an emotional topic. I understand that people want to really simple, will look fine, not solution to any issues such as that graphic crime. People just think will take away their lot. But its not as simple as that. We know that in many countries that support the death, you know, see this massive issues with in terms of a trial to process. Will lol, independent judiciaries so, so i think its a much more will you want some complex issue than this. And because the final result, its ultimately the death of an individual. It should never be supported. Its, its almost all rejected by countries. Member states, the u. N. Arms are in 20 member states, the un voted against the Death Penalty. Last week. I mean these, these, this form of punishment is really on the way out in words and no the island imposed a lot of the justification for the u. K. To ban the Death Penalty is mistakes have been made and the past. And its too final, is that something that you think should be universal . Well, the serving have been miscarriages of justice. The idea of the possible way still with the rights and wrongs of the Death Penalty is a theoretical issue all the way back to my school debating days. But i only became passionately opposed to it. When i dealt with 1st time, someone who was facing execution, i got a call, richard dawson, who was sentenced to death more than 20 years ago. And today its still on death row. Awaiting his execution 2015, he had 3 different execution dates. 2 of those were delayed because of legal appeals. The 3rd was not with the prison waiting for him to be executed. Was called off at the last moment because they discovered that they had the wrong lethal injection drug to kill him, which was the only thing that saved his life since there are big no more executions in a place. Because of my background comes from being suppressed or against it. I dont think it is a tyrant and all the stalker is particularly obscene of the usual, that the United States, which has very little in common with iran, with north korea. And china should be on the same side when it comes to the well, lets bring in stephanie mathile and his stephanie, it is an interesting one because the u. S. Has Just Announced new measures including quite extraordinary, this firing squad. Which sounds like a throwback to, you know, revolutions and the post russian. Well, but is why the u. S. Doing this in as one of the big countries is a bad example . Absolutely. The u. S. Is setting a bad example by considering most, i mean, formal or dont punishment. We look to the us, if you know, is one of them, one of the latest when it comes to human rights. And at the line minutes between difficult to even that last look, i dont believe any form of execution is bearable whether its execution will start, whether its public hanging, whether its shops, gun, shops at the back, whether its a lethal injection. I mean, in the end there and look, its really a plate deeply concerning and troubling that the us is considering such and such a barbaric punishment and tear on have you heard the arguments that from the northern and poor rushnell niland . I mean, are you sell, show that this is useful and a deterrent for a country like iraq . Well, i dont think anyone supports punishing someones that that is innocent and there should be checks and balances in place to ensure that you know, innocent people are not prosecuted. But i mean the same rationality can be used for any type of punishment. I mean, even life imprisonment a mistakes can be made. And nevertheless, i think the main issue at hand here is that when were talking about global norms and global values, we have to 1st of all discuss how were these values decided in the 1st place. Did Eastern Countries or asian countries, or muslim countries where they actually participant to these kinds of discussions where the definition of what is human rights and what is barbaric or decided . I think there are a lot of power relations here at play where western countries are getting to impose their own values on countries such as iran. So i think we should, every country should get the option to had their own system based on their own culture and what their own people want. Thats a bit disingenuous, is that because there was a part in the u. N. Just a few days ago on iran voted to keep the Death Penalty you do have a cite and whether the Death Penalty as a country should be in your country or not. You have a say and like you said, iran and iran voted against what i meant was not a vote of the International System in the United Nations. But actually how many people in each country support a system . If a majority of iranians dont support the Death Penalty, then that would be a different story. But every poll in iran shows that a very large majority of iranians do support the Death Penalty. And i dont see how Foreign Countries get to impose their will on the will of the iranian people. So i dont, i dont see how that can work. I think its going to cover an imposition if you have a vote and it but, but again, iran voted against it. So if, if there is a vote in the United Nations say like, thats, thats assuming that 100. 00 countries in the world vote against having the option of wearing the head job. Would that mean that iran should abolish that just because other countries voted against the system . What i mean is each country separately within their own system, the will of the people should be implemented in this and even in the United States, the latest you. Gov poll shows that almost 2 thirds of americans support the Death Penalty. So if the, if the americans want the Death Penalty, i think the government should implemented its a democracy and would say, and correspondent, what do you make of the well, im shaking my head during the course. Not because i dont think that that opinion poll is right. 2nd callup poll, which is considered the Gold Standard if you like, for how are americans use the Death Penalty over the past 25 years. The figures in favor of the Death Penalty fall of from more than 80 percent to just over 50, percent. It is still a majority l. Q. , and i should say that penalty is his work while keeping on that the statute book when you will to ask questions such as would you replace it with life in prison without parole . Then dufferin, the percentage that even further in a majority are against the Death Penalty. Not we can argue as to whether the popularity of something is a reason for legislate. You know, im not, i would hope that moral standards carry some weight here. And certainly when i was really i was writing my book back in 2016, it seems if the United States was moving towards the abolition of the Death Penalty if hillary clinton, i believe, had been elected president , then the balance of the supreme courts in the United States would probably have tilted in the liberals favor and of course weve seen number donald trump, how a guy who has a 60 conservative majority, if it is going that way under hillary clinton, im pretty sure that the Death Penalty if off the statute books and abolished already that would certainly be something that was likely to happen in the next few years because states, individual states are all moving in that direction. Very few actually carry out the Death Penalty that well, just because they know that these controversial, but they know that it is ineffective. It hasnt proved to be a terrorist, and most of the Law Enforcement obese recognize that as well, that most crimes are carried out. Moments of passion rather than necessarily plans. Im there for the deterrent factor. Doesnt really come into it there. I mean, i think that most people, when they analyze the reasons for the Death Penalty, it comes time to feeling that it is the necessary for revenge or retribution on the house of victims. But victims are not helped when people are executed wrongly and 170 people have been exonerated, having been sentenced to death in the United States, their cases were times of grief. They were completely innocent. Now, if the law had to be the last moment they would be dead in there, wouldnt be any opportunity to argue that case anymore. Now they will say, some legal quarters that, well, that shows that the system works because those people were eventually exonerated. But how many of the more than 1500 people have been executed in the United States since launching 76 were innocent . Most people think that a good, healthy percentage more than 10 percent of those were likely innocent people. Lets bring in Stephanie Mcclellan head and open stephanie. So we have what we have, were in a situation right now where some of the bigger countries and the result. How is iran, for example, the us, china have the death of us here, which is allows smaller countries. They will, those bigger countries have the Death Penalty. So, you know, dont take a look at us, take a look at them. Is that any pressure you compile on the big countries, the regional powers, to get rid of the Death Penalty, or is it, are you simply shouting into the void . Now look, look, 120. 00, countries voted against it. And last monday and we finally called the u. N. Will like that voters at the General Assembly plenary in december 39. Countries did vote against it. They wanted to keep it down, you know, see, but we know that those countries, a lot of those countries of some of the most serious Human Rights Violations in the world, china, iraq, im as yet now, north korea. I mean, these are countries with a reach its human rights records. And of course, any country that votes in favor of it is sending a terrible signal. Sorry, that votes against their resolution is sending a terrible signal to other countries that its ok. And we as an organization, a really calling on the most strong countries that have voted, i mean them are tory and can find a halt on executions to apply russia, whether thats trade or