EU Policy On The Death Penalty
EMBASSY OF SWEDEN
WASHINGTON
Office of the Press Counselor
Tel: (202)467-2655
Fax: (202)467-2656
January 9, 2001
PRESS RELEASE
THE EUROPEAN UNION APEALS TO THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA ON
THE DEATH PENALTY
In a letter to the Governor of Oklahoma, Mr. Frank
Keating, and to the members of the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board,
Sweden as current President of the European Union together with Belgium as
the subsequent EU President, and the European Commission issue the
following statement:
* The European Union conveys deep concern with the high number
of persons (eight) scheduled to be executed in Oklahoma in the period until February
1st.
* The European Union opposes the death penalty in all
cases, and thus seeks its universal abolition, promoting a global
moratorium as a first step. The EU encourages the State of Oklahoma to
introduce a moratorium on the death penalty.
* The European Union takes a special stand regarding the
imposition of the death penalty on persons suffering from a mental
disability. Two of the eight persons scheduled to be executed in Oklahoma
are considered to be mentally disabled. The EU urges the commutation of
these sentences.
Please see the EU homepage at http://www.eurunion.org/legislat/DeathPenalty/eumemorandum.htm
for the EU Memorandum on the Death Penalty.
For further information on this subject please contact
this office.
Embassy of Sweden,
1501 M Street, N.W.,
Washington DC 20005
tel: (202) 467-2600, fax: (202) 467-2699
Homepage: www.swedenemb.org
