European Union calls on Dhaka to abolish death penalty

The death penalty does not deter drug crimes, nor does it protect people from drug abuse, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, reiterating the world body’s ongoing call to abolish the practice altogether, while emphasizing that if used, that it be applied only to the crime of intentional killing.

The outspoken Attorney at Law spoke as the World on 10 October 2015, observes the 13th World Day Against the Death Penalty.

The European Union is aware that the carriage of justice will always remain susceptible to human failings, but unlike prison sentences, the death penalty is irreversible and irreparable. Today, 82 per cent have either introduced moratoria by law or in practice, or have abolished the death penalty. The death penalty can neither reverse the crime it seeks to punish nor mitigate a victim’s loss. 101 countries have abolished the death penalty for all crimes. “The Council of Europe and the European Union urge all European States to ratify the protocols to the European Convention on Human Rights which aim at the abolition of the death penalty”, the statement said.

Running against the abolitionist worldwide movement, many countries added the death penalty for drug crimes in their legal system between 1980 and 2000.

“I urge all States and individuals to join the United Nations as we continue to advocate for an end to the imposition of the death penalty”, he concluded.

Last year, at least 22 countries around the world carried out executions and at least 2,466 people were sentenced to death – an increase of 28%.

The European Union and its Member States are pleased to note Tonga’s status as a de facto abolitionist country since 1982.

“In addition to not reducing crime, the death penalty for drug-related offences is applied in a discriminatory manner against those in the most vulnerable situations”, said Karim Lahidji, FIDH President.

“The Death Penalty represents an unacceptable denial of human dignity and violates the right to life universally affirmed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and reaffirmed in the worldwide Covenant on Civil and Political Rights”, the European Union statement said.

The statement also noted that suspects are more likely to be sentenced to death if they are poor or belong to an ethnic or religious minority.

The European Union is active in its campaign work against capital punishment in multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations, and the European Union has for several years pushed for the adoption of a global resolution on a moratorium on the use of the death penalty.