Source: timesofindia<\/p>\n
India was among the 39 countries that voted against a UN General Assembly draft resolution which called for abolishing the death penalty, saying every nation had the “sovereign right” to determine its own legal system.<\/p>\n
The non-binding resolution called for a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty.<\/p>\n
It was adopted on Monday at the General Assembly’s Third Committee, which deals with social and humanitarian issues, after 110 nations voted in favour of the resolution while 36 abstained.<\/p>\n
The draft resolution expresses its “deep concern about the continued application of the death penalty and calls on states to establish a moratorium on executions, with a view to abolishing the practice”.<\/p>\n
It calls on nations to progressively restrict the death penalty’s use and not impose capital punishment for offences committed by persons under age 18 or pregnant women.<\/p>\n
States would also be called on to reduce the number of offences for which the death penalty might be imposed.<\/p>\n
Speaking in explanation of the vote, India said each state had the sovereign right to determine its own legal system.<\/p>\n
“The draft resolution sought a moratorium on executions. India could not support the text in its present form,” India said in its explanation of the vote.<\/p>\n
Among the nations voting against the resolution were Bangladesh, China, Korea, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Kuwait, Libya, Pakistan and the US.<\/p>\n