The Death Penalty in the OSCE Area International Safeguards On 18 April 2013, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation on human rights in Belarus reported the lack of transparency about persons held on death row and those who have been executed.83 He recommended that the government of Belarus release comprehensive information on those sentenced and executed and to advance the work of the parliamentary working group on the death penalty.84 The Special Rapporteur also pointed out the inadequate procedures for appeals of death sentences.85 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA* In the United States, 32 states, as well as federal civilian and military courts, retain the death penalty as possible punishment for criminal offences. According to a survey conducted by Gallup in May 2013, among 1,535 respondents aged 18 and older interviewed across 50 states and the District of Columbia, 62 per cent found the death penalty morally acceptable, as opposed to 31 per cent finding it morally wrong.86 The result represents a four per cent increase in respondents considering the death penalty morally acceptable and a three per cent decrease in respondents considering it morally wrong in comparison to the same opinion poll conducted in May 2012.87 On 2 May 2013, the State of Maryland abolished the death penalty for all future cases.88 The repeal replaced the death penalty with life imprisonment without parole.89 For the five death row inmates who are not affected by the repeal, the 83  “Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation on human rights in Belarus”, UN Human Rights Council, 18 April 2013, <http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/RegularSession/Session23/A-HRC-23-52_ en.pdf>. 84  Ibid. 85  Ibid. 86  “Change over time in moral acceptability of 20 issues”, GALLUP Politics, 20 May 2013, <http://www.gallup.com/ poll/162689/record-high-say-gay-lesbian-relations-morally.aspx>. 87  Ibid, follow the link at the bottom of the page: View methodology, full question results, and trend data. 88  “Maryland Governor makes death penalty repeal a priority”, Death Penalty Information Center, 15 January 2013, <http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/legislation-maryland-governor-makes-death-penalty-repeal-priority>. 89  “Maryland Senate Votes to Repeal Death Penalty”, Death Penalty Information Center, 6 March 2013, <http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/recent-legislation-maryland-senate-votes-repeal-death-penalty>. * The United States Mission to the OSCE did not provide a response to the 2013 ODIHR questionnaire on the death penalty. 23