Brussels, 10/10/2007 (Agence Europe) - On the fifth annual World Day against the Death Penalty, the European Union reaffirms its long-standing opposition to the application of the death penalty, whatever the circumstances, and “reiterates its call upon States that still maintain the death penalty to work towards abolishing the death penalty”, irrespective of the circumstances. The tendency towards the universal abolition of the death penalty is continuing, but the practice is still in force in the United States, states a press release published on Wednesday 10 October by the Portuguese Presidency. The EU therefore repeats its call on the United States to “work towards abolishing the death penalty and in the meantime, to immediately establish a moratorium”. At the 62nd General Assembly the United Nations, the EU will present a resolution on the abolition of the death penalty and a moratorium on its application. Europe's conviction on this subject is very strong, even though Poland recently opposed the EU's making 10 October into “World Day against the Death Penalty” (EUROPE 9504), taking the view that it is superfluous in the EU, unless it is extended to the right to life. The declaration of the Portuguese Presidency adds: “all measures of abolition of the death penalty should be considered as progress in the enjoyment of the right to life”.
At the European Parliament, the MEPs observed a minute's silence in tribute to the victims of the death penalty, with Hans-Gert Pöttering particularly pointing his criticism at China. “The death penalty must be abolished throughout the world and next year's Olympic Games will provide us with the opportunity to break the wall of silence which China is hiding behind”, said the President of the EP. (ab)