The US is one of just 13 countries to have voted against a United Nations resolution condemning the
death penalty for having gay sex.
Although the vote passed, America joined countries such as
China, Iraq and Saudi Arabia in opposing the move.
The Human Rights Council resolution condemned the “imposition of the death penalty as a sanction for specific forms of conduct, such as apostasy, blasphemy,
adultery and consensual same-sex relations”.
It
attacked the use of execution against persons with “mental or intellectual disabilities, persons below 18 years of age at the time of the commission of the crime, and pregnant women”.
It also expressed “serious concern that the application of the death penalty for adultery is disproportionately imposed on women”.
The
US supported two failed amendments put forward by Russia, which stated the death penalty was not necessarily “a human rights violation” and that it is not a form of torture, but can lead to it “in some cases”.
And it abstained on a “sovereignty amendment” put forward by Saudi Arabia, that stated “the right of all countries to develop their own laws and penalties”.
