Isn it more important for Al to defend prisoners of conscience than common criminals?
A. At the core of Al’s work is its statute, adopted by the International Council, the organisation’s supreme governing body. In article I, Al’s statute specifies work for the release of prisoners of conscience, fair trials for political prisoners and an end to torture and the death penalty in all cases. All these objectives need Al’s full attention and the death penalty is no exception – as has been stressed in a number of International Council decisions, most recently in 1985.
