SHOCKING: Amnesty India opposes Supreme Court upholding death penalty for Nirbhaya's rapists. Here's the statement

Just over an hour after Supreme Court upheld death penalty awarded to rapists in brutal 2012 Nirbhaya rape case, human rights NGO Amnesty India has opposed verdict.

After apex court dismissed review petition filed by three of four rapists who h been given death penalty, Amnesty India issued a tweet saying following:

" Supreme Court's decision to uphold death penalty for accused in Nirbhaya case is an unfortunate step towards continued use of death penalty in India."

Linked to tweet was a post titled: "Executions Will Not Ericate Violence Against Women"

Here is full statement by Amnesty India:

Executions Will Not Ericate Violence Against Women

In response to Supreme Court’s verdict on a review plea filed by three of four convicts today in 2012 Delhi bus gang-rape and murder case of a young woman, Amnesty International India’s Programmes Director, Asmita Basu said:

“Unfortunately executions do not ericate violence against women. re is no evidence to show that death penalty acts as a deterrent for sexual violence or any or crime. Inste, government must allocate equate resources for effective implementation of laws, improve conviction rates and ensure certainty of justice in all cases. Even Justice Verma Committee, whose recommendations were relied upon to reform laws on sexual assault and rape, h opposed imposing death penalty in cases of rape.”

In 2017, India was one of only three countries in world that expanded scope of death penalty by opting new laws. In April 2018, Central Government approved an ordinance introducing death penalty for those convicted of raping girls aged 12 years or younger.

“All too often lawmakers in India hold up capital punishment as a symbol of ir resolve to tackle crime, and choose to ignore more difficult and effective solutions like improving investigations, prosecutions and support for victims’ families. Far-reaching procedural and institutional reforms are need of hour.“

SHOCKING: After Supreme Court Upholds Death Sentence, Lawyer Of Nirbhaya's Rapists Cries 'minor Convicts' And 'public Pressure'

On or hand, moments after verdict, Nirbhaya’s far expressed his approval and endorsed death penalty for rapists. He said,"Crimes are still on rise as culprits have no fear of law". Nirbhaya's mor Asha Devi also called for stricter laws vis-a-vis rape and said that it was time to make death for rapists norm. "Rapists should not be spared," Devi said. 

Earlier, on May 4, apex court h reserved its order on petitions filed by Mukesh (29), Pawan Gupta (22) and Vinay Sharma (23) seeking a review of death sentence. fourth convict, Akshay Kumar Singh (31), however, h not filed a review petition against order of Supreme Court despite having been given time to do so. Anor convict, prime-accused Ram Singh h allegedly committed suicide at Tihar jail in 2013 while case was still in trial stage, while sixth accused h been found to be a minor by Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) and was sentenced to a three-year-term at a probation home, after which he was released.

Nirbhaya Rape Case Verdict: 'We Want Rapists To Be Hung Fast' Said Nirbhaya's Parents After SC Upheld Death Sentence Awarded To Convicts

According to prosecution, 23-year-old paramedical student, who came to be known as Nirbhaya (fearless), was assaulted and raped by six persons in a moving bus in South Delhi and thrown out with her male friend on night of December 16, 2012. She subsequently succumbed to her injuries during treatment at a Singapore hospital on December 29 same year after having battled bravely, even as country expressed a mass outpouring of shock, grief and outrage at brutality she h been subjected to.

In September 2013, a fast-track court in South Delhi held four accused in case guilty and pronounced death sentence to m. trial court n referred case to Delhi High Court for confirmation of ir death sentence. Supreme Court h on May 5, last year, upheld Delhi High Court order of death penalty to four convicts.