29/06/2001 (Agence Europe) - Following the ruling of the International Court of Justice, which found the United States guilty, on Wednesday in The Hague, in a case against Germany because of the execution of two German citizens, the Lagrand brothers, in Arizona in 1999, the president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Lord Russell-Johnston, made the following declaration: "Today's decision by the International Court of Justice in the Hague will not bring back to life the two German citizens who were executed in the United States in flagrant violation of their legal rights, protected under international treaties to which the United States is a party. The decision will not in itself bring an end to the executions in that country. However, following Monday's decision by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which requested the United States and Japan to end executions by 2003 or face suspension of their observer status with our Organisation, the decision of The Hague court will add to the mounting pressure on the last two prominent democracies in the world who continue to apply this uncivilised form of punishment, to join the rest of the free and democratic world and abolish the death penalty once and for all". (See EUROPE of 27 June, p.5).