EU against resumption of death penalty at federal level in the United States

The European Union has expressed its displeasure at the resumption of the death penalty at the federal level in the United States. In a statement, the spokesperson of the European External Action Service said:

"The European Union strongly opposes the decision of the United States Department of Justice to resume the federal death penalty after a 17-year hiatus. We urge the U.S. administration to reconsider and not proceed with the federal executions due to take place starting on 13 July. This decision runs counter to the overall trend in the United States and worldwide to abolish the death penalty, either by law or in practice.

The European Union strongly opposes the death penalty at all times and in all circumstances. It is a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, incompatible with the inalienable right to life, fails to provide effective deterrence to criminal behaviour, and is irreversible. The European Union stands firmly and unequivocally by the victims of crimes and their families, and supports the application of effective, non-lethal punishments. The European Union will continue to work towards a universal abolition of the death penalty."

The European Union has long promoted the abolishment of the death penalty world wide. All EU member states abolished the death penalty, as did all the member states of the Council of Europe. Abolishing the death penalty was a condition for Russia and other former Soviet Republics to join the Council after 1991.

source: commonspace.eu

Related articles

Editor's choice
News
Uzbekistan calls for bigger voice for Central Asia in the UN

Uzbekistan calls for bigger voice for Central Asia in the UN

Uzbekistan called for a more effective and representative United Nations on September 23, as presidential administration chief Saida Mirziyoyeva used her address to the UN General Assembly to seek support for the country’s candidacy for a nonpermanent Security Council seat in 2035–2036. Speaking at the Assembly’s 81st session in New York, Mirziyoyeva argued that international cooperation remains necessary despite growing geopolitical divisions. She endorsed UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ UN80 reform initiative and called for an expanded Security Council, arguing that international rules should be applied consistently rather than according to the interests of powerful states. Uzbekistan’s planned chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement in 2027 was presented as another platform for promoting dialogue. Her emphasis on multilateralism also fits a broader Central Asian effort to increase the region’s role in international institutions. Kyrgyzstan, for example, will hold its first Security Council seat in 2027–2028. Mirziyoyeva also highlighted regional cooperation, pointing to improved relations among Central Asian states over longstanding border and water disputes. On Afghanistan, she urged countries not to view it solely as a security threat, stressing the importance of creating conditions for peaceful development. She linked Uzbekistan’s international agenda to domestic reforms, citing economic growth, falling poverty and expanded education. Climate and water security also featured prominently, with the Aral Sea serving as an example of the consequences of poor environmental management. (click image to read more)

Popular

Editor's choice
Interview
Thursday Interview: Murad Muradov

Thursday Interview: Murad Muradov

Today, commonspace.eu starts a new regular weekly series. THURSDAY INTERVIEW, conducted by Lauri Nikulainen, will host  persons who are thinkers, opinion shapers, and implementors in their countries and spheres. We start the series with an interview with Murad Muradov, a leading person in Azerbaijan's think tank community. He is also the first co-chair of the Action Committee for a new Armenian-Azerbaijani Dialogue. Last September he made history by being the first Azerbaijani civil society activist to visit Armenia after the 44 day war, and the start of the peace process. Speaking about this visit Murad Muradov said: "My experience was largely positive. My negative expectations luckily didn’t play out. The discussions were respectful, the panel format bringing together experts from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey was particularly valuable during the NATO Rose-Roth Seminar in Yerevan, and media coverage, while varied in tone, remained largely constructive. Some media outlets though attempted to represent me as more of a government mouthpiece than an independent expert, which was totally misleading.  Overall, I see these initiatives as important steps in rebuilding trust and normalising professional engagement. The fact that soon a larger Azerbaijani civil society visits to Armenia followed, reinforces the sense that this process is moving in the right direction." (click the image to read the interview in full)