Human rights groups hit doctors' role in executions

Several organizations seek to remind physicians of medical ethics policies against taking part in lethal injections.

By Andis Robeznieks, AMNews staff. Feb. 11, 2002.

The human rights organization Amnesty International is known for keeping a close eye on dictators. Now it's also keeping an eye on doctors.

Physicians who participate in capital punishment executions can expect to come under Amnesty International scrutiny. The group seeks to highlight how this practice conflicts with established ethical policies. And it's also looking to recruit doctors to its cause.

"Amnesty International is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances by all governments," said the group's Midwest regional field organizer, Robert Schultz. "And one of the developing areas of resistance to the death penalty is the engagement of doctors and the medical community."

Vienna Colucci, Amnesty International director of membership networks, said her group seeks to boost its membership among doctors and nurses and to get their help on such issues as torture and the death penalty.

"We want to get them on board and try to use their special skills to further our mission," she said. "In certain situations, the voices of doctors carry more resonance and weight."

Colucci said the movement was international and that physician participation in the Netherlands and Pakistan was particularly strong.

Recently, Amnesty International called for the Medical Assn. of Georgia to address the breach of ethics committed by the doctor who participated in the November execution of Jose Martinez High.

According to reports, when after 15 to 20 minutes, medical technicians could not find a vein to insert a needle into High's arm, they inserted one in his hand and a doctor placed one between High's shoulder and neck. [...]