Rome's Coliseum to be lit up for UN death penalty freeze
ROME (AFP) — Rome's historic Coliseum, where thousands of Christians were put to death during the Roman Empire, will be lit on Christmas evening to celebrate a death penalty freeze voted by the UN General Assembly.
"The Coliseum will be lit up at 1700 (1600 GMT) on this day to stress the moral and civic value of this historic decision taken by the UN on December 18 and strongly backed by Italy," a statement from the Rome mayor's office said.
This UN non-binding resolution, in view to a total abolition of the death penalty proposed by Italy and sponsored by 87 member states, was adopted by the General Assembly with a vote of 104, with 54 against and 29 abstentions.
Italy has been on the front line of the countries against the death penalty, and the Coliseum, one of the most celebrated monuments in the world, is lit up whenever a country abolishes the death penalty or adopts a moratorium on executions, or when a person condemned to death is pardoned.
