10/07/2020 (Agence Europe) – On Friday 10 July, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service emphasised the EU's strong opposition to the US Department of Justice's decision to reinstate the death penalty at federal level after a 17-year hiatus (see EUROPE 12305/25). At the end of June, the Supreme Court had refused to intervene in the Trump administration's decision to resume executions in mid-July. “We urge the US administration to reconsider and not proceed with the federal executions that are scheduled to take place from 13 July”, the spokesman said. Explaining that this decision went against the general trend in the United States and throughout the world to abolish the death penalty, both in law and in practice, it recalled that the EU was firmly opposed to capital punishment at all times and in all circumstances. (CG)