31/07/2009 (Agence Europe) - The European Union has condemned the hanging, on Tuesday 28 July, of three people in Japan. Hiroshi Maeue and Yukio Yamaji, who were Japanese, were executed in Osaka, and a Chinese man, Chen Detong was hanged in Tokyo. In a press release published on 30 July, the EU reiterates that it is opposed to the death penalty under all circumstances and repeats its appeal for the universal abolition of this cruel and inhumane punishment. "We believe that the abolition of the death penalty is essential to protect human dignity, and to the progressive development of human rights", the Swedish Presidency stresses. The press release goes on to call upon Japan to set in place a moratorium on the application of the death penalty, with a view to its complete abolition. (A.B./transl.fl)