<p>Amnesty International Thursday urged India not to execute the four associates of the late forest brigand Veerappan whose mercy plea have been rejected.<br /><br /></p>.<p>"India must immediately halt the impending executions of four prisoners whose mercy petitions were rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee," Amnesty said in a statement.<br /><br />The presidential action marks the final course of appeal in the country's justice system.<br /><br />According to officials, the four are Gnanprakasham, Simon, Meesekar Madaiah and Bilavendran. They are lodged in a jail in Karnataka. Amnesty said they were "now at high risk of imminent execution".<br /><br />The president's move came just days after the hanging of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, who was the second man to be hanged in India in less than three months.<br /><br />"This government has executed more people since November 2012 than in the previous 10 years. To continue such a regressive trend would be truly shameful," said Amnesty India chief G. Ananthapadmanabhan.<br /><br />"Given the political climate and the two other recent executions, there is a real concern that these four men will be put to death soon. The Indian government must ensure that this does not happen."<br /><br />The four were convicted in 1993 for their involvement in a landmine blast that killed 22 people and injured many including policemen who were on their way to arrest sandalwood smuggler Veerappan.<br /><br />Amnesty added: "This new practice of executing in secret without prior notification to relatives is deeply worrying. <br /><br />"We urge the Indian government to immediately establish a moratorium on executions as a first step towards abolition."<br /><br />Amnesty International opposes the death penalty as a violation of the right to life as proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and as the ultimate cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment.<br /><br />It opposes capital punishment in all cases without exception.</p>
<p>Amnesty International Thursday urged India not to execute the four associates of the late forest brigand Veerappan whose mercy plea have been rejected.<br /><br /></p>.<p>"India must immediately halt the impending executions of four prisoners whose mercy petitions were rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee," Amnesty said in a statement.<br /><br />The presidential action marks the final course of appeal in the country's justice system.<br /><br />According to officials, the four are Gnanprakasham, Simon, Meesekar Madaiah and Bilavendran. They are lodged in a jail in Karnataka. Amnesty said they were "now at high risk of imminent execution".<br /><br />The president's move came just days after the hanging of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, who was the second man to be hanged in India in less than three months.<br /><br />"This government has executed more people since November 2012 than in the previous 10 years. To continue such a regressive trend would be truly shameful," said Amnesty India chief G. Ananthapadmanabhan.<br /><br />"Given the political climate and the two other recent executions, there is a real concern that these four men will be put to death soon. The Indian government must ensure that this does not happen."<br /><br />The four were convicted in 1993 for their involvement in a landmine blast that killed 22 people and injured many including policemen who were on their way to arrest sandalwood smuggler Veerappan.<br /><br />Amnesty added: "This new practice of executing in secret without prior notification to relatives is deeply worrying. <br /><br />"We urge the Indian government to immediately establish a moratorium on executions as a first step towards abolition."<br /><br />Amnesty International opposes the death penalty as a violation of the right to life as proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and as the ultimate cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment.<br /><br />It opposes capital punishment in all cases without exception.</p>