26/06/2015 (Agence Europe) - EU calls on Japan to adopt moratorium on death penalty. On Thursday 25 June, after a new execution, the European Union reiterated its call to the Japanese authorities to adopt a moratorium on executions and join all those, in Japan and abroad, who have asked for a thorough review of current policy. “Following a period of 20 months during which no executions took place, 19 persons have now been executed by Japan since March 2012”, the spokesperson for High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini stated. Tsukasa Kanda, aged 44, was hanged for having killed a 31-year-old woman in Nagoya in atrocious circumstances in 2007. The EU also reiterated its opposition to the use of capital punishment under any circumstances. (CG)