More than 140 organizations condemn President Trump's call to execute people for nonviolent drug offenses

(This statement has been organized by DRCNet Foundation (aka "StoptheDrugWar.org"), an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the UN Economic and Social Council since 2016.)

We the undersigned condemn President Trump's call to impose the death penalty for drug offenses. The death penalty for crimes other than murder is likely to violate the US Constitution, and the UN has called for a moratorium on executions with the aim of abolishing the death penalty as a whole. President Trump's rationale for this policy is premised on falsehoods. The world's two major executors for drug offenses, China as the president cited, and Iran, both have significant drug abuse and trafficking issues. China is a leading source for black market fentanyl and is a major exporter of methamphetamine to the Philippines. Iran has a growing addiction rate from widely available Afghan heroin. Both countries have scaled back their use of the death penalty for drug offenses in recent years, and both have invested significantly in harm reduction programs like syringe exchange and opioid substitution therapy. The other country President Trump has cited in arguing this position is Singapore. However, the government of Singapore has used essentially faked data to defend its draconian policies to its people and at the UN. Singapore has drug issues like every other country, and in some ways drug use is becoming more open.