number of others that are on trial so potentially not affecting this man but maybe in the future richard dieter of the exit executive director of the death penalty information center thank you so much thank you aaron national negotiators have started to arrive in geneva switzerland ahead of a second round of syrian peace discussions set to begin on wednesday now representatives from the united nations russia the u.s. the syrian government and its opposition will take part in these talks u.n. secretary general ban ki moon had extended a last minute invitation to are wrong to participate however that invitation was or send it after the syrian opposition threatened to pull out of the negotiations altogether if we did in fact attend parties or pissing off reports from switzerland . international peace conference on syria taking place here in this small swiss town of montreal on the shores of lake geneva is truly an international achievement it took so much time and so much effort but it's finally going to happen. and the rebels after years of fighting and unimaginable violence are going to finally

number of others that are on trial so potentially not affecting this man but maybe in the future richard dieter the exit executive director of the death penalty information center thank you so much thank you. well to ukraine now where anti-government demonstrators have taken to the streets nine to after night ever since new laws were in place limiting the rights of its citizens to protest thirty people were arrested today according to the interior ministry and more than one hundred one thousand nine hundred s. have been injured since sunday afternoon the new law bans protesters from wearing masks or helmets at rallies they are allowed to set up tents or sound equipment systems without police prom mission and convoys of five cars or more traveling together must seek a private approval protesters say that these laws and french on their rights are alexei euro chef king is in ukraine and brings us this report. tension may have come down in terms of the noise at the governmental court in kiev but it's still far from settled only a few meters are separating the police lines and the line of the protes

richard dieter. and he made a comment roords to fall billty. i find that very disturbing in regards to the method of the injection. i think that when something is not palatable, i think it just brings more of an aware necessary that when somebody contemplates taking a life unless someone is mentally deranged and goes out and murders somebody they may think twice in doing that. and i have to say that i know you're showing all the statistics and everything. but i still depee. i think that we as people are trying to form our own laws. we're not using a guideline. i believe when a life is taken and someone is judged by their peers that they should nay penalty for taking that life. i think about the people who have lost children or husbands or wives to murder. and so what we're saying is well, that's not a heinous crime, but it is if we put somebody if we deem that somebody convicted and should be tried for murder that we should have second thoughts about that. because of all these statistics you're talking about. host: we'll let our guest answer. g

use of new drugs for lethal injection caused slow painful deaths lasting over twenty minutes richard dieter of the death penalty information center says old execution methods being advocated are prone to even more mistakes you can imagine with a firing squad you know. only partly. leading it you know these are things that are also prone to to error to pain to to you know from the public and so states changed to protect the death penalty to lethal injection so to go back would certainly jeopardize their whole purpose. to carry out executions some u.s. states already provide alternatives to lethal injection alabama arkansas florida kentucky oklahoma south carolina tennessee and virginia it administer the electric chair if requested by the defendant delaware new hampshire and washington state allow inmates to choose hanging while arizona and wyoming legally allow gas chamber executions as an alternative currently lethal injection remains the only enforceable method of execution in the us but if states get their way somewhere down the line death by firing squad or electric chair. maybe the new

richard dieter of the death penalty information center says old execution methods being advocated are prone to even more mistakes you can imagine with a firing squad of tea or some stumbling in only part of the plane didn't leave him you know these are things that are also prone to two characters painted two of you know revulsion from the has those states. changes to protect the death penalty to lethal injection. so to go back when gently and jeopardize their whole purpose of sharing to carry out executions. some us states already provide alternatives to lethal injection. alabama arkansas florida kentucky oklahoma south carolina tennessee and virginia. mr the electric chair if requested by the defendants delaware new hampshire and washington state allow inmates to choose hanging wall arizona and wyoming legally allow gas chamber executions as an alternative. currently lethal injection remains the only enforceable method of execution in the us but it states get their way somewhere down the line death by firing squad or electric chair may become the new norm in america. according to me

i was chilling earlier by richard dieter executive director of the death penalty information center. these are not talking about today's appeal hearing. i don't think the judge and the ruling but no will be making it prior to the execution obviously this is a talent to the clemency process in texas which has been upheld in the past. i know you are against the death penalty. what this case goes beyond whether you are for or against capital punishment. it's not arguing over whether or not this man is in fact guilty of this crime was about to international diplomacy if you can you explain the love of words and tell for sure and i think the chief concern is that us citizens who travel abroad may get arrested article that may get arrested anwar consult with their us embassy very quickly and that treaty that protects that is is the same treaty that implicated in two miles case he mean a mexican citizen had the right to consult with his embassy. one is consulate when he was arrested and that right was given to him so all that's being asked for his hearing test. let's see when that have chan

richard dieter, the executive director of the information center, the non-profit organization that tracksjoins us right now. a recent report detailed where the death penalty is being imposed and where executions are being carried out. what did you learn in that report? the numbers were extraordinary. there's been a 75-% drop in death sentences in the past decade and a 60% drop in executions. most abolished the death penalty leak maryland last year and public support is at an all-time low. >> why is it going down? >> i think innocence is the biggest issue. the public, jurors, prosecutors know that the public expects a very tight, scientific case and that's not always possible. dna has revealed that the system makes mistakes and death penalty doesn't fit well in that system? how does public opinion factor into this? >> public opinion, i think, keeps the death penalty rolling along. it's not going away in 2014, but i think the use, the practical assessment of the death penalty is that it's a program that isn't working. it's becoming irrelevant even if people support it. >> so the majority of

after that, richard dieter of the death penalty information center on the use of capital punishment in 2013. plus your emails, phone calls, and tweets. "washington journal" live at 7:00 a.m. eastern on c-span. the c.e.o. of heritage action, the advocacy organization linked to the heritage foundation is our guest this weekend on "newsmakers." founded in 2010, he talks about his group's roles and issues in topics dividing conserve tiffs in the republican party. watch "newsmakers" sunday at 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. astern here on c-span. >> about 10, 15 years ago, we started looking at the census department data, and very strange kind of pops out. when you look at where profits are of multinationals, you know, if you look at europe, you see germany, france, ireland, italy. but if you look at the data on where the profits are, france, germany, ireland. it's just this -- a unusually disproportionate amount of profit information ireland, so that was one indication that something was going on. >> more with marty sullivan, chief economist for tax analysts, a nonprofit global provider of tax ne

that, richard dieter on capital punishment. "washington journal" live at 7 on c-span.n deadline's approaching for c-span's student cam video competition open to middle and high school students, answering the question, what's the most important issue congress should address this year with a five to seven-minute documentary that programming.an there's $100,000 in total prizes. by january 20. studentcam.org. >> the supreme court heard oral airlineson whether need any reason to drop their frequent flyer programs. arthwest airlines stripped rabbi from its world perks membership because according to airline, he abused the program. at issue is whether rabbi to bringhas a right his case or whether it's preempted by the airline act which prohibits parties from bringing claims the airline because of price, service or route of the carrier. this is an hour. >> we hear argument first this 12462, northwest rabbiorated versus ginsberg. mr. clement? itmr. chief justice, may please the court. under this court's decision there are only two relev

. >> richard dieter joining us from washington. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> ukraine's stability may rest on negotiations ongoing between opposition leaders in the government. we want to show you live pictures from kiev. after five days of violent chance in the city's main square, both sides are taking a break while talks resume. negotiations ended wednesday with opposition leaders demanding new elections right away. they say if they don't get what they want, they have promised to the protests will begin again. government forces stepping up their crackdown, closing streets and firing water cannons at protestors. at least four people were killed yelled. >> iranian president addressing the world, using his trip to meet with oil company executives and financial leaders. he said iran now ready to engage the international community. >> i here announce that one of the theoretical and practical pillars of my government is constructive engagement with the world. without international engagement, objectives such as growth, creditti