ArmInfo.Armenia became the 89th state to accept the second optional protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This was reported by the press service of the EU Delegation to Armenia.
The message of the European mission notes that on March 19 Armenia deposited an instrument of ratification on the second optional protocol to this pact, aimed at abolishing the death penalty.
"Although the RA Constitution already protects the right to life and prohibits the death penalty, Armenia makes this abolition irreversible by joining this protocol.
The EU welcomes this important decision, which is in line with the global trend of abandoning the most inhuman and cruel punishments, "the EU said in a statement.
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights is a United Nations pact based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Adopted on December 16, 1966, entered into force on March 23, 1976. The Covenant is an international treaty and is binding on 172 states parties, as of August 2017. In addition to the participating states, the pact was signed by 7 more countries.
The Covenant commits parties to respect the civil and political rights of individuals, including the right to life, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, electoral rights, due process, fair trial, etc. The Covenant is overseen by the Human Rights Committee UN, considering the reports of the participating countries, publishing comments () to the pact and considering complaints about the violation of the pact by the countries parties to the first optional protocol.