The European Union (EU) has opposed death penalty in Bangladesh and called on the authorities to introduce a moratorium on executions as a first step towards abolition of capital punishment.

In a joint statement yesterday, the heads of mission of the EU member states and the EU delegation in Bangladesh said October 10 was World Day Against the Death Penalty and on that same day, 19 death sentences were issued in Bangladesh.

“The European Union and its member states reiterate their absolute opposition to capital punishment in all circumstances and restate their commitment to the worldwide abolition of death penalty. Death penalty violates the inalienable right to life enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and is a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. Furthermore, death penalty does not act as a deterrent to crime and any error of judgment is impossible to correct,” the statement read.

The heads of mission who signed the statement are: Ambassador, Delegation of the European Union Rensje Teerink; Ambassador of Italy, Mario Palma; Ambassador of Spain, D. Álvaro de Salas Giménez de Azcárate; Ambassador of Sweden, Charlotta Schlyter; Ambassador of France, Marie-Annick Bourdin; Chargé d'Affaires of German Embassy, Michael Schultheiss; Chargé d'Affaires of Danish Embassy Refika Hayta; Chargé d'Affaires of Embassy of the Netherlands Jeroen Steeghs; and Acting British High Commissioner Kanbar Hossein-Bor.

The EU holds a strong and principled position against death penalty in all circumstances and for all cases, in accordance with the EU Strategic Framework and its related Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy.