Brussels, 29/10/2014 (Agence Europe) - During the evening of Tuesday 28 October, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton said the EU was “appalled” by the execution of Reyhaneh Jabbari in Iran and expressed its most sincere condolences to her family.
“The European Union deeply regrets that the Iranian judicial system did not allow a retrial of the case, in spite of doubts over the fairness of the trial and Ms Jabbari's constant claims that she was merely defending herself against a sexual assault”, Ashton stated.
The European Union calls on the Iranian authorities to stay all pending executions and consider establishing a moratorium on the use of death penalty, Ashton added. The EU expressed its deep concern regarding the increasing number of executions in Iran and reiterated its strong opposition to the death penalty which is “cruel and inhumane, as well as irreversible”. Jabbari is reportedly the 967th person to be executed since Hassan Rohani took up office as the president of Iran on 4 August 2013, according to Iran Human Rights Documentation Centre.
On 6 October, the EU called on Tehran not to execute Jabbari (see EUROPE 11170). Jabbari was sentenced to death in 2009 for the murder of Morteza Abdolai Sarbandi, a former agent from the Iranian intelligence ministry. 26-year-old Jabbari said that she had acted in legitimate defence when Sarbandi was trying to sexually abuse her. (CG)