COLOSSEUM LIGHTS UP TO CELEBRATE THE ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY

Community of Sant'Egidio (This community invites The Journey of Hope yearly)

The Governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson, the Archbishop of Santa Fe, Michael Sheehan, together with Representative Gail Chasey e Viki Elky are in Rome at the invitation of the Community of Sant'Egidio.

In 2002 the Community of Sant'Egidio launched the worldwide movement "Cities for Life - Cities against the Death Penalty" and the Colosseum in Rome, lit up with special effects - with the cooperation of ACEA - has become the symbol of the international campaign on behalf of a system of justice capable of respecting life and human dignity.

AN EXCEPTIONAL LIGHTING OF THE COLOSSEUM WILL CELEBRATE NEW MEXICO AND THE LAW THAT BANS THE DEATH SENTENCE

PRESS CONFERENCE: Piazza di S.Egidio 3/a Wednesday April 15, 2009 At the headquarters of the Community of Sant'Egidio Piazza S.Egidio 3/a

Today's Event: Wednesday, April 15, 2009 20:15 - 21:15 In front of the Colosseum

EXCEPTIONAL LIGHTING AND CERIMONY AT THE COLOSSEUM

With the participation of Mario Marazziti, Community of Sant'Egidio, the Mayor of Rome, Gianni Alemanno, Governor Bill Richardson and the Archbishop of Santa Fe, Michael Sheehan

NEW MEXICO is the 15th State to Abolish the Death Penalty in the US.

After many attempts by legislators and civil society, after the Judiciary Committee of New Mexico's Senate passed the bill repealing the death penalty on March 10, 2009, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson signed H.B. 285 on March 18, 2009. It is a bi-partisan bill that replaces the death penalty with life imprisonment. New Mexico is the fifteenth state to abolish capital punishment. It matches and follows by less than two years what New Jersey's legislature passed in December 2007 and Governor Corzine signed on December 17th 2007: the eve of the historical approval by the UN General Assembly in New York of the Resolution for a Global Moratorium on the Death Penalty.

New Mexico's initiative is an example that can spread to other states,inside and outside the US. Recently, many other American states have been considering similar bills because of increasing evidence of flaws in the judicial system, the high number of innocent, exonerated death row prisoners, the increasing pressure of victims' families and the considerable savings that can result from putting an end to the death penalty: Nebraska, Maryland, Kansas, New Hampshire Colorado, and Montana are among them.

Piazza di S.Egidio 3,a 00153 Roma - Tel 39.06585661 - Fax 39.065883625

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