"Just Mercy" Virtual Film Screening and Panel Discussion

06.10.2020

October 10 is World and European Day Against the Death Penalty. To commemorate this date and raise awareness around the issue of capital punishment in the United States, the European Union, in partnership with the German Presidency of the EU Council, the Death Penalty Information Center and Witness to Innocence, invite you to a virtual screening of the film "Just Mercy."

This award-winning film is based on the memoirs of Bryan Stevenson, a young defense attorney who represented Walter McMillian, an African-American wrongly convicted of murder in Alabama and sentenced to death in 1988. "Just Mercy" portrays the labyrinth of legal and political hurdles, as well as overt racism, that Stevenson had to overcome to prove McMillian’s innocence. All registered guests will receive complimentary on-demand access to "Just Mercy," available for viewing in early October. Please note this offer is only available to viewers in the United States.

On October 14 at 11:00 A.M. ET the Delegation of the European Union to the United States will host a virtual conversation about "Just Mercy" and the state of capital punishment in the United States, featuring voices from the exoneree community, the European Union, and US death penalty policy experts.

Opening Remarks

  • Stavros Lambrinidis, Ambassador of the European Union to the U.S.
  • Emily Haber, Ambassador of Germany to the U.S.

Panel Discussion

  • Paul Bottei, Capital Habeas Unit, Federal Public Defender Office, Southern District of Ohio
  • Shareef Cousin, Louisiana Death Row Exoneree, Witness to Innocence
  • Robert Dunham, Executive Director, Death Penalty Information Center
  • Ruth Friedman, Director, Federal Capital Habeas Project
  • Paula Redondo Alvarez-Palencia, Political Officer, Delegation of the European Union to the U.S. (Moderator)

To attend, click the blue registration button on the right.The European Union, as part of its commitment to defending human rights, is the largest donor in the fight against death penalty worldwide. All EU countries have abolished the death penalty in line with the European Convention on Human Rights.  #AbolishDeathPenalty #EU4HumanRights

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Virtual Event, Washington, D.C.