25/07/2008 (Agence Europe) - The European Union, which has just reaffirmed to Iran its opposition to the use under any circumstances of capital punishment, is “deeply concerned” that eight Iranian women and one Iranian man have been condemned to death by stoning and risk imminent execution, according to a statement released by the French Presidency on Thursday 24 July. The EU has called on Iran to put an immediate stop to these executions and pointed out that Iran has pledged to introduce a moratorium on stoning. The European Union has called on the Iranian government and parliament to abolish, in law and in practice, cruel and degrading punishment and, in particular, the use of stoning as a method of execution. (L.C./transl.rt)