USA: Blind faith: An appeal to President George W. Bush to admit that the USA's 30-year experiment with the death penalty has failed

USA: Blind faith: An appeal to President George W. Bush to admit that the USA's 30-year experiment with the death penalty has failed

Amnesty International considers that the death penalty is the ultimate form of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Particularly in the context of the "war on terror", US officials have authorized and condoned interrogation techniques and detention conditions that violate the international prohibition on torture. Yet officials have at the same time claimed to be committed to treating detainees humanely. Amnesty International now urges President Bush, in addition to reconsideration of his administration's approach to the treatment of detainees in US custody at home and abroad, to reconsider his support for the death penalty.