Brussels, 22/11/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 21 November, Sajjad Karim MEP (ECR, United Kingdom) spoke of his disappointment at the execution of Mohammad Qasab, who was recognised as guilty for the terrorist attacks in Bombay in 2008. Karim, who had been there during the attacks, said that although Qasab's actions were “repugnant”, his execution “will not bring back all the people he killed, and it has only made another martyr for extremists to revere”. He said that he felt “no pleasure at his death” and would have preferred to see him imprisoned for life. “The world needs to learn that an eye for an eye only leads to a spiral of violence”, he said.
On 22 November, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton said that she was “very concerned” by the execution and she “deeply” regretted the breach of the de facto moratorium on the death penalty observed by India since 2004. “We recognise that terrible murders were committed at the heart of this case and we are aware of the suffering of the victims and their families. However, I do not believe that capital punishment can ever be justified”, Ashton said, calling on the Indian authorities to reintroduce this moratorium.
On 26 November 2008, a commando attack killed 166 people in the centre of Bombay. Qasab is the only terrorist to have been captured alive. The Pakistani Taliban have threatened to avenge his execution. (CG/transl.fl)