Brussels, 29/01/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 28 January, the European Union criticised the execution of Warren Lee Hill in Georgia (USA) the previous day. His execution, “in spite of the indications that he suffered from a mental disability, is contrary to widely accepted human rights norms and to the minimum standards set forth according to international human rights law”, said the spokesperson for High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini. “We regret that the numerous calls for clemency, including those of the EU, went unheeded”, the spokesperson added, recalling that the EU is opposed to the use of capital punishment under all circumstances and aims at its universal abolition.
Hill had killed his fellow-prisoner in 1990 when he was serving a life sentence after killing his girlfriend. Hill's mental retardation had been shown by numerous psychiatric examinations. In expert opinion, there is a mental deficiency when the IQ is below 70. Hill scored 69 in one intelligence test and around 70 in others.
Hill is the fifth prisoner to be executed in the USA since the start of 2015, and the second in Georgia. (CG)