UN human rights council urges US to end death penalty

American delegate says capital punishment is subject of vigorous debate and applied for in only the most serious crimes

More than 1,200 people have been put to death in the US, which has been urged to abolish the death penalty. Photograph: Tony Garcia

The US today faced an international clamour to abolish the death penalty during a debate at the UN human rights council in Geneva.

The council is gradually reviewing the performance of all 192 UN member states. The US took its moment in the spotlight seriously, sending a high-level delegation of around 30 officials led by Esther Brimmer, the assistant secretary of state for international organisation affairs.

The delegation was given a mostly warm welcome by delegates of the 47-member council, but was forced to listen to repeated calls for the US to put an end to the death penalty.

More than 1,200 men and women have been put to death in the US since executions resumed in 1977 after a decade without them, according to Amnesty International.

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