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Algerian Islamic movement raps bids to abolish death penalty

ALGIERS, Feb 28 (KUNA) -- The Algerian Movement for the Society of Peace (MSP), a ruling coalition partner, denounced on Sunday the anti-capital punishment campaign of the National Consultative Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (NCCPPHR).
"The Algerian authorities have already made an anti-capital punishment decision which runs counter to the principles of Sharia (Islamic Law) and Algeria Constitution," the MSP said in a statement here.
"The movement sticks to the punishment because; firstly it (the capital punishment) is legitimate under Sharia, and secondly there are capital crimes such as premeditated murder and narcotics trade, that necessitate capital punishment," according to the statement.
The movement urged involving all political, judiciary, legal and civil society institutions in the decision-making in this regard.
Meanwhile, NCCPPHR's Chairman of Mustafa Farouk Ksentini said his commission has outlined its demands in consultation with several local and foreign human rights activists at the 4th World Congress Against the Death Penalty.
The three-day conference which came to a close in Geneva on Friday, reached agreement on statute on human rights which will be signed by the member states of the coalition, Ksentini, who represented Algeria at the conference, told Algeria Radio on Saturday.
He added that his commission, an affiliate of the Algerian presidential office, is lobbying for the abolition of the capital punishment but has no mandate to abolish it. (end) ft.gb KUNA 282157 Feb 10NNNN