A heart attack is following developments for us from the capital. His family, theyve dictated the terms of this very traumatic day, which many arjan times wanted to share. And i think some of that frustration spilling over into violence earlier in the day when thousands of people have been queuing up to get into the president ial palace to pay their last respects. Were told they were going to make it the family wanted the gates closed. They wanted the body taken to the cemetery. The same cemetery where gable matters that his parents are buried. Drug fam, astra zeneca is now considering running another global trial. After that admitted its kind of virus vaccine needs further research. Oxford university which partnered with the pharmaceutical firm, says some of the trial injections didnt have the right amount of vaccine due to a manufacturing error. Meanwhile, germany is imposing a stricter lockdown measures as it struggles to suppress coronavirus infections. Chancellor Angela Merkel says restrictions are likely to continue into january. Shes also pushing for the e. U. To close down ski resorts over the winter holidays. A Turkish Court has handed down hundreds of life sentences for those accused of plotting to overthrow president russia, tither 2 and 4 years ago, its one of the biggest cases related to the failed coup. With 400 75. 00 suspects. Begin a faster as president rocket. Boracay has promised to move the country forward after he was reelected for another 5 year term, but opposition parties say the vote was marked by fraud. Something Election Officials reject. Frances interior minister has ordered the suspension of Police Officers who allegedly attacked and racially abused a black music producer inside his own studio. The incident was recorded by security cameras. Inside the studio, the producer told reporters, police followed him in after seeing him outside without wearing a face mask. Well, those are the headlines and ill have more news for you here on aljazeera after inside story. Do stay with us. So the Death Penalty be abolished worldwide. The us allows for more that executing inmates as nearly 40 countries reject the latest Un Resolution against attitudes towards 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 stakes 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 honestly, International Says more than 26600, people are known to be on death row around the world. It recorded at least 657. 00 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 russian, 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 the hamad, 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 . Im true, 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 do 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. We are talking about fundamental human rights here, and i regard the support somebody has done or has been perceived to have done and should never be sentenced and, 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 a really simple will live, find not solution to any issues such as that. A graphic crime, people just think will take away their life, that its not as simple as that. We know that in many countries support the death in o. C. Has 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 un arms are in 20 member states, the un voted against the Death Penalty last week. I mean these, these, these a 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, oklahoma 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 this about was, 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 and as one of the bigger countries . Is it 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 or sorry, whether its public hanging, whether its in shops, a gunshot to the back, whether its a lethal injection. I mean, in the end there and looks, its really a plague deeply concerning and troubling that the u. S. Is considering such and such a barbaric punishment and tear on havent you heard the arguments that from melbourne and Paul Rushnell niland . I mean, are you still sure 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 and 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 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, lets, lets assume that 100. 00 countries in the world vote against having the option of wearing their 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 the Gold Standard if you like, for how are americans use the Death Penalty over the past 25 years. They have the figures in favor of the Death Penalty full of from more than 80 percent to just over 50 percent. It is still a majority help you and i could say that penalty is his work while keeping all that the statute books. But 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 63, 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 terrorists, and most of the Law Enforcement opiates 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 its a little hard to defeat. At the last moment they would be dead and 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, we have, were in a situation right now where some of the bigger countries and the reason powers, iran, for example, the u. S. China have the death was 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 there 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 and last monday and we finally called it and the u. N. Will like jumps 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 strong countries that have voted, i mean them are torn and can find a halt on executions to apply russia, whether thats trade or whether its through negotiations at the u. N. , but really raise their voice and call it out what it is, which is a very barren and inherently cruel practice and tear on how many mousavi isnt this the real cost to iran about the Death Penalty already youve been criticized for your human rights record. This is yet one more example, a very powerful example that you can be criticized for and yet you still say, well, its popular in the country, so theyre full, we should keep it. But its yet another way of beating up iran in the publics i mean its a very politicized matter. The reason iran is being criticized. I would say, im not saying every criticism, of course there are. d genuine criticisms as well and maybe valid criticisms as well. But the criticisms that you hear on u. S. Media, a lot of it is politicized. And one measure of that is that a lot of the same issues were going on in iran during the time of the shah. And, you know, iran was actually supported and very few there were fair, if you denounce the nations of iran. Listen, heres the thing. When were talking about voting in the u. N. , its really not their decision to decide. I mean, if, if say a 100 countries vote for california to become a separate country. Does that give them to the right to vote on that . I dont think we have, there is a legitimate basis to impose the values of other countries on countries such as iran, a minute, any or all of the execution numbers have decreased significantly coming to almost 250. 00 per year. And this is even though that iran has almost 2000 homicides every year in iran, the family of the victim is actually given the option to forgive the perpetrator of the murder and in large numbers in the majority of cases that has actually happened. But there is always the option in the deterrent, that if you actually kill someone that there is a chance that you will be executed. And i think thats something positive. And poor russia, in words, to be saying that actually its a system that works for us. In the u. S. Where the victims families dont get a say in whether the death of his should be taken place or not. I mean, why is the, why is that still on the books that you spent a lot of time covering all of this can tell us. Well, michael, i book surviving execution because it does seem to survive despite all the blows it is being. Take it both from campaigners and even from victims who you would think would be in favor of the Death Penalty if they have seen their loved ones killed. You can understand the emotion involved in the case. And i absolutely understand that they might want to see that kind of retribution. But equally, there are people who dont want to see that. I met a man whose daughter was killed in the oklahoma bombing in which Timothy Mcveigh was ultimately executed by the federal government. He didnt want to see that he didnt think that it brought any comfort to him as a victim. And he actually became friendly with the father of the murderer, himself. Bringing together the, the kind of the kind of colon bomb that they had both lost loved ones unjustly. At the United States is a slightly different case to many countries because they do full of the powers on the Death Penalty to individual states. And yes, the federal government occasionally does carry out that drill executions and donald trump and bill bar, the u. S. Attorney general are still carrying out executions, even though its a lame duck administration. Joe biden is set to take over in january. But even when joe biden becomes president , he himself will have no power other than when it comes to federal crimes to deal with Death Penalty issues. It is down to individual states. But to say its only a matter of a handful of states that have such as texas and such as virginia who are still carry knives these, these executions. Even though there are substantial peoples within the numbers of people within those states who approve it and want to carry on like execute. I think it sends a terrible example when the United States is trying to lecture other countries on their human rights records. When it has such a napoleon record when it comes to the Death Penalty itself and executions were one point being carried out at such a rate that they hardly merited coverage in the newspapers. And i was a washington correspondent in 2002, 2003. You would, you know, quite frequently pick up a newspaper and discovered the inside pages. There would be an execution virginia that night. But they were being carried out at such a rate that nobody seemed to care anymore. Thankfully the numbers of fallen significantly and fewer than 20 people a year are now executed. But a lot of people would say thats still far too many stuff to mclennan. One of the bigger problems you go when it comes to International Agreements is one of enforcement. Yes. You can vote for the moratorium on Capital Punishment, but if a country breaks that moratorium, even if they voted for it, theres not a huge amount you can do. Yeah. Cos every country and they like, you know, like what the individual saying about iraq. They are trying to do what they live, but it doesnt making that youre off the hook people nationally. You still operate, you have a Global Economy where you rely on relationships about a country. And if you continue to behave in a right, disrespecting, matt, it will be repercussions and look, if its not simple, i guess, but do you value and value of human rights, that dignity and respect for law. These is a really poor and terrible way to go down. Its just not, its not appropriate having, it was so interesting. You talked a lot about International Agreements and how they dont or a, a one size fits all for every country. But iran, when it comes to nuclear power, when it comes to the nonproliferation treaty, which you already signatory to when youre being criticized for your Nuclear Weapons program, alleged Nuclear Weapons program or nuclear program. Generally, you say, well actually we signed up to the n. P. T. , iran pakistan, india, north korea didnt. And they have Nuclear Weapons which are illegal site. Youre quite happy to trot out an International Agreement then, but when it comes to the Death Penalty, youre much more hands off and say, well look, one size doesnt fit all is a little hypocritical. Well, regarding the n. P. T. , its actually a voluntary agreement. So every country can decide for themselves whether they want to be part of the n. P. T. Or north. So its actually not really an agreement. If there is agreement you, your iran hides behind all trumpets rather than hiding. Right, so so, so iran did sign up for the n. P. T. And based on that, iran is actually being monitored by the i. A. E. A. War than any country in the world. And nevertheless, thats something that iran decided on itself. It wasnt something that was imposed on iran. But when were talking about something that is about the Death Penalty, we have to take into consideration the cultural and religious distinctiveness of other countries. I mean, just because the west is the more powerful side in the globe right now, they shouldnt be able to impose their own values on other countries. And we have to remember that a lot of the time, these sort of human rights issues are politicized this. Well so, so theyre actually sometimes used as a Political Tool to pressure other countries because of other reasons, not, right . Not necessarily because of human rights issues. Our thank all our guests assessment. Mclellan, how that was saudi and inwards, and thank you too for whatever you can see the program again, any time by visiting a website out is there at dot com. And for further discussion, go to our facebook page. 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I missed on with the top stories for you here on aljazeera. The funeral of football legend Diego Maradona has taken place at a cemetery in argentinas capital. But as aires there was heavy security as his body was transported from the president ial palace to be buried. Thousands of people lined up on the route to watch the funeral procession. But earlier there was scuffles between known as and police. After all the hours hes trying to shut off access to a public way. Images showed riot Police Firing tear gas at crowds who had been queuing there since the early morning. The country is observing 3 days of mourning for marathoner, who died on wednesday from a heart