BOOKS: The Death Penalty from an International Perspective

A recent book by Sanaz Alasti, “Cruel and Unusual Punishment: Comparative Perspective in International Conventions, the United States and Iran,” explores the question of what constitutes cruel and unusual punishment on an international level. The book reviews current practices in both Iran and the United States, focusing on the death penalty and the harshness of such practices as corporal punishment, long terms of imprisonment, and inflexibile laws mandating punishment. Punishments are particularly examined in light of the universal declaration of human rights. Sanaz Alasti is a Fellow at Harvard law school, and has written numerous books and articles on various aspects of comparative criminal justice and penology.

(S. Alasti, “Cruel and Unusual Punishment: Comparative Perspective in International Conventions, the United States and Iran,” Vandeplas Publishing 2009). See more Books.