Austin Deasy
Ceist:140 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of executions carried out by the state in China in each of the past ten years; and the number of females included in these figures. [3439/98]
Vol. 486 No. 6
140 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of executions carried out by the state in China in each of the past ten years; and the number of females included in these figures. [3439/98]
Statistics on the number of executions which take place annually are not made available by the Chinese authorities. Amnesty International issued a report last August, however, which estimated that during 1996 there were 6,100 death sentences imposed by Chinese courts of which 4,367 were carried out. No breakdown for those convicted between males and females was provided. It is believed that annual figures for executions in recent years have been of a similar order to the number given for 1996.
141 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of executions which were carried out by the state in the Ukraine in each of the past ten years; and the number of females, if any, which were executed. [3440/98]
The situation regarding executions in Ukraine is very difficult to verify. The Council of Europe has referred recently to a total figure of 180 executions in Ukraine for the two years 1996 and 1997. However there is no information on a gender basis. An Amnesty International report of 1997 referred to 809 death sentences in the previous six years since independence, and 451 executions.
The Council of Europe is at present looking into this very serious issue. Upon accession to the Council of Europe in November 1995 Ukraine undertook to put in place immediately a moratorium on executions and to abolish the death penalty completely within three years by ratifying Protocol No. 6 to the European Convention on Human Rights. In June 1996 the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe considered this issue following reports of continuing executions. Again in January 1997 the Parliamentary Assembly examined the matter and issued a stern warning to Ukraine. It deplored 89 executions which it believed to have taken place in the first half of 1996 and demanded that Ukraine immediately honour her accession commitments and halt any executions pending.