FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – December 16, 2003
GOVERNOR GEORGE H. RYAN TO BE NOMINATED FOR
THE 2004 NOBEL PEACE PRIZE
As the deadline approaches for the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize nominations, Francis Boyle, Professor of International Law and Human Rights at the University of Illinois, has decided to re-nominate ex Governor George H. Ryan of Illinois. Professor Boyle nominated Ryan last year and explains his decision to nominate him again as follows.
"Since retiring as Illinois Governor, George Ryan has launched a one-made crusade all over the world against the death penalty. He has probably done more effective work against the death penalty than all the rest of the American Abolitionists put together" states Professor Boyle.
After three years of thorough review of all capital cases in his State, George Ryan declared the capital punishment system in Illinois "broken" and commuted the sentences of all 167 inmates sitting on Death Row in Illinois jails on January 11th, 2003.
Since then he has been actively campaigning in the United States and in Europe in an attempt to bring the use of the death penalty in the USA to an end. The Death Penalty is a system, which cannot be fixed. It is broken and flawed. Human justice will never be infallible.
Ryan has been appointing Honorary Chairman of the European activist group, Hands Off Cain. In this capacity he lead the campaign to have the European Parliament petition the United Nations to pass a resolution demanding that the US stop using Capital Punishment.
Capital Punishment is contrary to all International Human Rights codes and the USA is the only major so called democracy still practicing this Human Rights violation. The USA murders more of their own citizens in the name of justice than any other country in the world with the exception of China and Iran.
That fact notwithstanding, the task of bringing this practice to an end in USA is enormous. The Campaign to Support George Ryan for the Nobel Peace Prize believes that international support would be an important aid to help Ryan continue his fight to end the Death Penalty.
George Ryan has shown courage and strength in his continuing struggle. It is commonly rumored that he was among the top hand full of finalists for the 2003 award, which was won by Shirin Ebadi of Iran.
With our support we trust that 2004 will be the year that George Ryan wins the Nobel Peace Prize. And the USA is given one more message that the rest of the democratic world abhors capital punishment.
Professor Boyle may be contacted for comments or interviews at the at the following:
Phone: 1-217-333-7954
Fax: 1-217-244-1478
Email: committee@stopcapitalpunishment.org
Website: http://www.stopcapitalpunishment.org
Visit our web site for complete information about Ryan’s work
and our campaign to support him.
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