28/09/2016 (Agence Europe) – On Tuesday 27 September, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service denounced the execution of Ahmad Najib Aris in Malaysia and stated that this runs counter to global trends towards establishing a moratorium on the use of capital punishment. In a press release, the spokesperson said that "the review of the use of the death penalty, as announced by the Malaysian authorities, should begin as soon as possible and lead to the establishment of a moratorium on executions as a first step towards the universal abolition of the death penalty". The spokesperson again pointed out that the EU was universally opposed to the use of the death penalty, and said this is "a cruel and inhumane punishment". Aris was hanged after spending 11 years on death row for the rape and murder of a woman. (CG)