EU Marks World Day Against the Death Penalty

On the occasion of the fourth World Day Against the Death Penalty, the EU Presidency issued the following statement: "The European Union reiterates its longstanding position against the death penalty. No one should be subject to capital punishment... The European Union considers the death penalty as a cruel and inhuman punishment and a violation of the right to life."

Recent years have seen constant progress towards worldwide abolition of capital punishment. Today, 128 countries have eliminated the death penalty in law and practice, up from only 16 in 1977. Benita Ferrero-Waldner, European Commissioner for External Relations, called upon countries "that have not yet abolished capital punishment to do so without further delay."

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