EU Policy On The Death Penalty
EMBASSY OF SWEDEN
WASHINGTON
Office of the Press Counselor
Tel: (202)467-2655
Fax: (202)467-2656
January 25, 2001
PRESS RELEASE
THE EUROPEAN UNION APPEALS TO THE STATE OF TENNESSEE ON
THE DEATH PENALTY
In a letter to the Governor of Tennessee and the Board of Probation and Parole
in Tennessee, the European Union made the following petition:
* The European Union urgently appeals to the Governor to halt the execution
of Mr. Philip Workman, which is scheduled for January 31, 2001.
* The EU regrets that the State of Tennessee has terminated its de facto
moratorium on the death penalty, which lasted more than 40 years. It was brought
to an end by the execution of Mr. Robert Glen Coe in April last year. We encourage
the State of Tennessee to reintroduce a moratorium.
* The EU opposes the death penalty in all cases and seeks its universal abolition.
We promote a global moratorium on executions as a first step.
The letter was signed by Sweden, the current President of the European Union,
together with Belgium, the subsequent EU President, and the European Commission.
Please see the EU homepage at http://www.eurunion.org/legislat/DeathPenalty/deathpenhome.htm
for background on the Union's positions on the issue of death penalty.
Embassy of Sweden
1501 M Street, N.W.
Washington DC 20005
tel: (202) 467-2600, fax: (202) 467-2699
Homepage: www.swedenemb.org
