09/04/2015 (Agence Europe) - EU calls for all death sentences to be commuted. On Thursday 9 April, the European Union called on the authorities of Bangladesh to commute all death sentences, after confirmation by the Bangladeshi Supreme Court of the death sentence in the case of Muhammad Kamaruzzaman. Kamaruzzaman was sentenced for committing crimes against humanity in the liberation war in 1971. The spokesperson for High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini reiterated the EU's opposition to the use of capital punishment in all cases and under any circumstances because “capital punishment is not a deterrent against crime and makes miscarriage of justice irreversible”. The EU has consistently called for the universal abolition of capital punishment and has asked the Bangladeshi authorities to introduce a moratorium on executions as a first step towards definitive abolition of capital punishment. (Camille-Cerise Gessant)