New York, Aug 12 (IANS): Several international human rights organizations have come out in support of the demand for the release of Devender Pal Singh Bhullar, who has been sentenced to death for masterminding a terror attack in New Delhi.

Equal Justice USA (EJUSA), New Yorkers for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (NYADP); Wespac Foundation and Reprieve have written to the Government to stop the execution of Bhullar, according Sikhs For Justice, a New York based community advocacy group.

In a letter addressed to President of India, Shari Silberstein of Equal Justice USA (EJUSA) as cited by SFJ wrote, India as the world's largest democracy "should take a leadership role in moving towards repealing the death penalty, with a view to joining the 104 countries that have already ended the death penalty; or, at a minimum, to maintain the de facto moratorium".

Since Bhullar is currently in a mental hospital, "EJUSA is especially concerned to hear this because we recognize that all of the death penalty's flaws are exacerbated when mental illness is involved," he was quoted as saying.

Gurpatwant S. Pannun, legal advisor to SFJ, the group backed by some human rights group will submit a petition to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, Dec 12, 2011 urging it to intervene and urge Government of India to stop the execution of Bhullar.

Belonging to the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) terrorist outfit, Bhullar was sentenced to death for masterminding a 1993 car bomb attack in front of the Youth Congress office in New Delhi that killed 12 people.