Idaho will restart executions after 17 years. Help us stop them.
Update – 18 November
We’re extremely sad to hear that today Idaho authorities chose to restart executions in the state, by executing Paul Rhoades with a lethal injection.
Thank you to all of you who took action and shared this post. It is never in vain: the more people that realise that executions continue take place daily around the world, the more we can work towards abolition of the death penalty. We’ve removed the tweet buttons to Governor Otter, feel free instead to share our film with our arguments against the death penalty.
This Friday, State authorities in Idaho plan to execute their first prisoner for 17 years. Idaho has only executed two people in the last 50 years, but on Friday it will buck international trend by reinstating the ultimate inhumane punishment.
54 year-old Paul Rhoades was arrested nearly 25 years ago. Over the course of that quarter century he has repented for his crimes and is seeking life without parole. Many current and former inmates have expressed the difference that Paul has made to their lives, persuading them to turn away from violence and criminality.
No one deserves to be punished by death. Idaho authorities could stop the execution at any point before Friday – and continue as they have for the past 17 years, without State executions.
Take action on Twitter and Facebook now
It’s time for us to join the campaign our colleagues in the States have been running to stop the execution.
Please take a few minutes to use your social media accounts to urge the Governor of the State of Idaho not to carry out this execution. Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter has a Facebook page and a Twitter account. Please join us and politely but firmly ask him to stop the execution of Paul Rhoades.
Tweet or Facebook the Governor of Idaho
Send the Governor of Idaho a tweet, or drop him a message on his Facebook page. Don’t forget to ask your friends to do the same:
Send both of the following tweets – one to the Governor, one asking your followers to help:
.@ButchOtter, Idaho hasn’t executed anyone in 17 years. Please don’t restart with #PaulRhoades on Friday, stop the execution.
Join me and ask the Governor of Idaho not to execute after a 17 year hiatus. The #DeathPenalty isn’t the answer.
To leave a message, go to the Governor’s official Facebook page, and leave a message on his wall. Be polite – we suggest a message like this:
Mr. Governor, I’d like to ask that you reconsider the execution of Paul Rhodes. Whilst I don’t want to downplay the seriousness of his crimes, he has tried to make amends during his prison sentence despite his difficult background. Since the last execution in Idaho 17 years ago, support for the death penalty is at a 40-year low. Please don’t resume executions.
The death penalty is never the answer
It’s the ultimate in cruel and unusual punishment. It reduces the state to the role of a killer. In the 17 years since Idaho last executed a prisoner, 40 countries have abolished the death penalty. The world is moving away from the death penalty with good reason and 16 US states have now abolished the death penalty. The Governor of the most recent to do so – Illinois – said “If the system can’t be guaranteed, 100% error-free, then we shouldn’t have the system. It cannot stand.”
Our blogs are written by Amnesty International staff, volunteers and other interested individuals, to encourage debate around human rights issues. They do not necessarily represent the views of Amnesty International.
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