Yesterday, the jury decided not to award the death penalty to Nicholas Cruz, the man responsible for the murder of 17 innocent lives. The school shooter was instead sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. This caused a furore on social media, and raised the age-old question;

Should the death penalty be abolished? The death penalty is undoubtedly one of the most controversial issues around the world. And although it's been abolished in much of the world, it's still carried out in at least 54 countries, including China and the United States. For decades, the US has used lethal injections to execute those convicted of certain crimes. The US Constitution, however, strictly bans what it describes as cruel and unusual punishment. Rights groups had accused the Trump administration of rushing to execute five inmates before the President's term ended in January. In 2020, the US was one of 39 countries that rejected a UN resolution for a moratorium on capital punishment. But with 120 votes in favour, the General Assembly is expected to adopt the measure next month. The UN Secretary-General has said the death penalty has no place in the 21st century. In 2019, the US has ranked 6th in the total number of executions, with 22. But rights groups say that China is the world's biggest executioner, with thousands believed to be killed every year. Beijing doesn't release death penalty figures. 

There have been repeated comments by the UN and the special rapporteur that the death penalty serves no deterrent purpose. There's been no evidence for that effect whatsoever by any credible, independent, reputable source. It's a barbaric form of punishment and it serves absolutely no purpose in any society. We are talking about fundamental human rights here and regardless of what somebody has done or has been perceived to have done, they should never be sentenced to death. And I oppose that view in its entirety. 

Well, I think the first issue here is we have to look at every country separately. I don't think we can have a general rule for the entire globe regarding capital punishment. The latest data on Iran, the World Values Survey conducted in 2020 asked the Iranians what they were taught about capital punishment. It was on a scale of one to ten, with one being never suitable and ten always suitable. Over 80% of Iranians chose several five or over. So a majority of Iranians, including myself, support the capital punishment system. And I don't think just because you have certain laws in other countries, they have to be enforced in countries such as Iran.

Well, I mean, just because something's popular doesn't mean it's right. It's still the death penalty that mistakes can be made and people can be executed in error. It is true, there can be errors. But at the same time, I think violent perpetrators of crime, such as serial killers, have let go of their right to life by killing other innocent people. And I think the families of these victims deserve justice. So we have to also look at this from the angle of people who are victims as well as their families.

But it is an effective deterrent according to many of the regimes that carry it out. It keeps their societies in check as the ultimate punishment. It is an emotional topic. I understand that people want a really simple, finite solution to an issue of such a graphic crime people just think will take away their life. But it's not as simple as that. We know that in many countries that support the death penalty, there are massive issues in terms of a fair trial, due process, rule of law, independence, and judiciary. So I think it's a much more nuanced and complex issue than this. And because the final result is ultimately the death of an individual, it should never be supported. It is, on the whole, rejected by countries.

Richard Glossip who was sentenced to death in Oklahoma more than 20 years ago today is still on death row, AW, waiting for his execution. In 2015, he had three different execution dates. Two of those were delayed because of legal appeals. The third one and I was in 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 with and that was the only thing that saved his life. Since then, there have been no more executions in Oklahoma because of this. 

Is the anti-capital punishment campaign a western concept?

I don't think anyone supports punishing someone innocent. And there should be checks and balances in place to ensure that innocent people are not prosecuted. But I mean, the same rationality can be used for any type of punishment. I mean, even in life imprisonment mistakes can be made. Nevertheless, I think the main issue at hand here is that when we're talking about global norms and global values, we have to, first of all, discuss how were these values decided in the first place. Did Eastern countries or Asian countries or Muslim countries, where participate in these kinds of discussions where the definition of what is human rights and what is barbaric was decided? I think there are a lot of power relations here at play where Western countries are getting to impose their values on countries such as Iran. So I think every country should get the option to have their system based on their own culture and what their people want.

, support for the death penalty has been falling in the United States. The Gallup Poll, which is considered the gold standard, if you like, for how Americans view the death penalty. Over the past 25 years, the figures in favour of the death penalty have fallen from more than 80% to just over 50%. It is still a majority-held view in the United States. The death penalty is worthwhile keeping in the statute book. But when you ask questions such as would you replace it with life in prison without parole? Then that brings the percentage down even further and a majority are against the death penalty. 

Very few carry out the death penalty. Now not just because they know that it is controversial, but they know that it is ineffective. It hasn't proved to be a deterrent and most law enforcement bodies recognize that as well. Now, most crimes are carried out of moments of passion rather than necessarily planned and therefore the deterrent factor doesn't come into it there. I mean, I think that most people, when they analyze the reasons for the death penalty, it comes down to feeling that it is a necessity for revenge or retribution on behalf of victims. 

But does that argument hold up in the case of Nicholas Cruz? The 

 states in graphic and disturbing detail how he planned his mass shooting and through the interview describes in chilling detail how he prepared for the shooting. Should the death penalty be awarded for such heinous crimes? The justification for the death penalty should also be looked at from the victim's point of view. Would the anti-death penalty campaigners say the same if they lost love in the massacre?

You might think that victims would be in favour of the death penalty if they have seen their loved ones killed. You can understand the emotion involved in the case and I understand that they might want to see that kind of retribution. But equally, some people don't want to see that. The United States is a slightly different case to many countries because they devolve the powers of the death penalty to individual states. And yes, the federal government occasionally does carry out federal executions. And Donald Trump and Bill Barr, the US. Attorney general, carried out executions even though it was a lame-duck administration. When Joe Biden became president, he has no power other than when it comes to federal crimes to deal with death penalty issues. It is down to individual states. 

It wasn't something that was imposed on Iran. But when we're 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 of the globe right now, they shouldn't be able to impose their values on other countries. And we have to remember that a lot of the time these sorts of human rights issues are politicized as well. So they're sometimes used as a political tool to pressure other countries because of different reasons, not necessarily because of human rights issues.

Nicholas Cruz and the Parkland School massacre raise the question of the death penalty

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