UN experts support Supreme Court's ruling and urge total abolition of death penalty.

The Supreme Court judgment on January 21, 2014 commuting death sentences of 15 convicts to life imprisonment has been endorsed by two independent United Nations human rights experts. The experts also urged for temporary prohibition on executions with a view of completely abolishing the death penalty.

Mr. Christof Heynes, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said that the judgment by the Supreme Court reaffirms the value of  human life as also embodied in the Constitution of India.

Mr. Juan E Méndez, the UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment also welcomed the Supreme Court's decision.

The statement by the two experts was also endorsed by the UN Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Mr. Mads Andenas.