The Norwegian Medical Association
Dr. Emie Fletcher
Governor of Kentucky
700 Capital Avenue Suite 100
Frankfort KY 40601
USA
Your ref.: Our ref.: Date: 08 November 2004
dokument4
Dear Governor
Execution of Thomas Bowling
The Norwegian Medical Association has through A mnesty Intemational learned that Thomas
Bowling will be executed 16 November.
Asa medical doctor we believe you want to comply with the international declarations and
conventions on ethics resolved by the profession. We therefore take the liberty to draw your
attention to the resolution adopted by the member organisations of the World Medical
Association in Lissabon in 1981. The assembly resolved “That is unethical for physicians to
participate in capital punishment, in any way, or during any step of the execution process.”
The Central Board of the Norwegian Medical Association has also recently decided to
oppose capital punishment per se.
Amnesty International also argues that Bowling could be regarded as mentally retarded. . In
1989 The UN Economic and Social Council, ECOSOC, adopted that persons suffering from
mental retardation or extremely limited mental competence, whether at the stage of sentence
or execution, should be protected from death penalty.
On this background we ask you to grant Mr. Bowling clemency.
Y ours sincerely
The Norwegian Medical Association
Terje Vigen
Secretary General Bjorn Oscar Hoftvedt
Head of Section
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