The Daily Telegraph reports: The UN envoy for the Middle East expressed alarm on Wednesday after Hamas authorities in the Gaza strip moved to hold public executions, and urged them to change course.
Nickolay Mladenov told the Security Council that public executions were prohibited under international human rights law and that any such killings in the Gaza Strip would be carried out without the approval of Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas, which is required under Palestinian law.
“I urge Hamas not to carry out these executions and call on President Abbas to establish a moratorium on the implementation of the death penalty,” he told the council by video-conference.
The death penalty can be applied only to the most serious crimes following a judicial process that upholds fair trial standards, the envoy said.
“I have serious doubts as to whether capital trials in Gaza meet these standards,” he added.
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