The US Supreme Court has the opportunity to consign the execution of child offenders
to history and bring the USA into line with the vast majority of countries that have
already done so, said Amnesty International today as it published a new report on
the issue.

The US Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on 13 October. Its decision on the
constitutionality of the death penalty against 16 and 17-year-old offenders is
expected in the first half of 2005.

"Such executions violate international law. The international consensus against
putting people to death for crimes committed when they were children reflects the
widespread recognition of the capacity of young people for growth and change," said
Amnesty International.

Since 2003, six people were executed in China, Iran and the USA, for crimes
committed when they were children. Other convicted child offenders remain under
sentence of death in Pakistan, the Philippines and Sudan.

"The life of a child should never be written off, whatever he or she has done. The
guiding principle must be to maximise the child offender's potential for eventual
successful reintegration into society. Execution is the ultimate denial of this
principle." said Amnesty International.

Scott Allen Hain was executed in the USA on 3 April 2003 for a crime committed when
he was only 17. Since then several executions of child offenders have been stayed
pending the outcome of the Supreme Court deliberations.

The USA is the only country which openly acknowledges executing child offenders and
claims for itself the right to do so under international law.

In China, although by law no one should be executed for a crime committed when they
were under 18, children have continued to be executed because the courts apparently
do not take sufficient care to determine their age.

Gao Pan, was executed on 8 March 2004 for a crime committed on 9 August 2001,
possibly before he was 18 years old. Conflicting information on official documents
and the use of different calendar systems had lead to confusion over his true age.

In an attempt to prove that Gao was 18 years old at the time of the crime, the state
prosecutor provided a household registration document signed by Gao's grandfather,
which on further examination was reportedly proven false.

Hebei Province High People's Court rejected 32 items of evidence provided by Gao's
lawyer supporting the claim that he was not yet 18 years old at the time of the
crime. The court also rejected a request made by Gao's family to carry out a medical
check which might have helped to clarify his age.

In Iran 16-year-old Ateqeh Rajabi, was publicly hanged on 15 August 2004 on a street
in the city centre of Neka, northern Iranian province of Mazandaran for "acts
incompatible with chastity".

Ateqeh Rajabi was sentenced to death three month earlier. During her trial she was
not allowed legal representation and the judge severely criticised her dress,
harshly reprimanding her. It is alleged that Ateqeh Rajabi was mentally ill both at
the time of her crime and during her trial proceedings.

Although Ateqeh Rajabi's national identity card stated that she was 16 years old,
the Mazandaran Judiciary announced at her execution that her age was 22. [Source: CRIN]

For more information, contact:
Amnesty International - International Secretariat
99-119 Rosebery Avenue London EC1R 4RE
United Kingdom
Phone:  +44 20 7814 6200; Fax: +44 20 7833 1510
Email: info@amnesty.org
Website: www.amnesty.org