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American Morning

Differences Between European Nations on Death Penalty is Creating Strain in Historic Alliance

Aired December 13, 2001 - 09:35   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: The differences between European nations on the death penalty is creating a strain in a historic alliance.

France, which like Spain, also has no death penalty, is stepping into the case of Zacarias Moussaoui. You might remember that Moussaoui is the French citizen of Moroccan descent charged with conspiracy in connection with the 9/11 attacks. He faces his first court appearance here in New York today. Moussaoui wants to be returned to France, fearing he could get the death penalty here in the U.S.

Jim Bittermann Paris spoke with some European opponents of the U.S. Death penalty law.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We are in the middle of a manhunt. In Afghanistan, I was upset to see that disposed members of Al Qaeda were being arrested and dying in containers. They put them in containers like cattle, and they died. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) atmosphere in which Mr. Bush created the special courts, and the American authorities say it's a state of war, it's clear Mr. Moussaoui cannot be judged fairly and independently.

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Anti-death penalty groups say capital punishment for those willing to commit suicide makes no sense at all.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is time for the U.S. to show what it really is. That is a Democracy. That is respect for your human rights. That is respect of the right to life. That's my position, and I think it would be the best message the U.S. could provide to its enemies.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: All right, Jim, we're out of your piece now. Tell us a little bit more about French reaction to this and whether there's any talk of French and American representatives getting together to talk about it.

BITTERMANN: Well, in fact, the French justice minister said that she expects to raise the issue with the United States, the fact that France does not have the death penalty and does not expect other countries to use the death penalty against French citizens. But other than make that kind of protest, about the only thing the French can do is to provide adequate counselor protection for Mr. Moussaoui. This is something that happens practically with every country around the world, under the terms of the 1963 Vienna Convention.

Basically, it means that any government which has a citizen that gets into trouble somewhere else in the world has the right to go visit that citizen in jail, to make sure that citizen is adequately defended and what not. So in the case of Moussaoui, this is exactly what the French government would be demanding.

But beyond that, because Moussaoui is already behind bars in the United States, there is an whole lot France can do.

What is interesting is what happens in other European countries, in Spain for instance, where there are eight suspects in the September 11th attacks behind bars right now. If the U.S. should ask for extradition, France, and Spain and all of the European countries share the same attitude, and that is, if it is a capital crime, if it is a crime with which the suspect may face the death penalty, then the suspect should not be extradited. So we will see how the Spanish authorities react it that. We know that Attorney General Ashcroft was in Spain today. I'm sure the topic probably came up there. It will be interesting to see what he has worked out with the Spanish authorities.

So far, at least, there has been no request for extradition of those eight suspects in Spain.

ZAHN: We need to follow that closely. Jim Bittermann, thank you so much.

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