A plan by Thailand’s prison service to broadcast the lives of death-row inmates on its website right up until the moment before execution has been axed, local media reported on Tuesday.
The country’s justice ministry pulled the plug on the broadcasts planned by the Corrections Department after the idea sparked protests from human rights groups, the Nation newspaper reported.
The broadcasts would violate the constitutional rights of prisoners and degrade the 60 men and five women, whose last days would be scrutinised by webcams, said Thai Justice Ministry deputy permanent secretary Kitti Limchaikij.
”Inmates would surely not be happy to be subject to minute-to-minute scrutiny and humiliation through the website. Although they have committed crimes, they are still human beings,” he said.
However, he said broadcasts of death-row inmates meeting with their relatives would be allowed.
Corrections Department director general Natthee Jitsawang unveiled the plan on Sunday, saying it would deter would-be murderers, according to the daily.
But it drew swift condemnation from rights groups, including Amnesty International’s Thailand office.
”Thai society already has suffered enough violence and death. It does not need more killing,” the rights watchdog said in a statement.
Amnesty said that if the government wanted to deter would-be criminals, inmates could discuss their ordeals in prisons with the media, without having their lives filmed. – Sapa-AFP