Execution of Juvenile Offenders
Why Some Countries Continue to Execute Juveniles
Most of the world has abolished the death penalty for juvenile criminal offenders. The few countries that continue to execute minors for criminal offenses, Iran, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, do so for violations of religious codes, or qesas, even though they have abolished the death penalty for juvenile offenders who commit capital offenses. In these countries, a clear distinction is made between violation of the civil codes and “crimes against God.” Crimes against God are punishable by death (Convention on the Rights of the Child).
Death Penalty for Juvenile Offenders in the U.S.
The U.S. does not have a death ...