The European Union expresses its deep concern over the recent increased application of capital punishment sentences in Iraq, including cases of several executions in one single day. Over 8 000 prisoners are reportedly on the death row in Iraq as of today.
The European Union strongly opposes the capital punishment at all times and in all circumstances. It is a cruel and inhumane ultimate punishment, which is incompatible with the inalienable right to life, fails to act as a deterrent to crime, and represents an unacceptable denial of human dignity and integrity. It also makes miscarriages of justice irreversible.
The European Union calls on Iraq to introduce a moratorium on the use of death penalty as a first step towards its eventual abolishment. The EU will continue to work for the abolition of the death penalty in the few remaining countries that still apply it.