MEPs debate the death penalty ahead of the International Day against the Death Penalty on 10 October, in the European Parliament in Brussels.

Brussels

debate

LOCHBIHLER, Barbara (Greens/EFA, DE)

GOMES, Ana (S&D, PT)

SCHAAKE, Marietje (ALDE, NL)

KUKAN, Eduard (EPP, SK)

death penalty (T)

ANGELILLI, Roberta (EPP, IT)

CHASTEL, Olivier (Renew, BE)

World day against the death penalty: extracts from the debate

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Roberta ANGELILLI (EPP, IT), I would like to read an extract of a letter which has been send to the members from the children of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani which I've got from the to Amnesty International regarding the debate for the world day against the death penalty and I would like to read this extract: " I would like to thank you for your efforts and the attentions that you've given to our mother Sakineh . Would like to thank you for your moral support. Our only hope in international community and for this reason we would like to ask the EP to intervene in a decisive fashion with all the instrument that it has available to it, to help our mother. we beg you not to abandon us and to listen to our request for help and we hope that such primitive punishment, such as stoning, will be eliminated for ever trough out the world and we send you our warmest greetings.

SOUNDBITE (French), Olivier CHASTEL, EU Presidency, on behalf of VPC/HR , The number and the different methods of application around the world are still alarming. 5679 executions in the world are 5679 too many. And with 58 territories and countries that still applying the death penalty we are still having our work ahead us. Furthermore we all know that where capital punishment still prevails there are major problems when its comes to respect of international standards, particularly when its come to limiting the death sentence to the most serious crimes and also excluding minors from its code of application, as well as a guarantee of a fair trial.

SOUNDBITE (English), Eduard KUKAN (EPP, SK), I regret that Byelorussia is the only country in Europe which still applies death penalty in practice . We should make all efforts to change the situation. Equally the EU should constantly raise awareness on abolition of death penalty both in bilateral and negotiations as well as in international fora. Concluding, Madame chair, EU has to be an inspiration to the rest of the world . Only a few days before the day against the death penalty seem the right time to reaffirm ourselves in this position.

SOUNDBITE (Portuguese), Ana GOMES (S&amp;D, PT), In the EU there is still one country with national legislation that allows the death penalty for certain crimes and exceptional circumstances. The EP calls in its resolution for Latvia to delete these provisions from this legislation . it is understanding in this house that the EU should be working to promote the abolishment of the death penalty working in summits and the un and bilateral relations.

SOUNDBITE (English), Marietje SCHAAKE (ALDE, NL), The impact of the death penalty in preventing crime is not even proven. there fore its practices even more contested. Well there should not be impunity in the cases of the most serious crimes, the death penalty in and up itself constitute a human rights violation according to the right to life as declared in the universal declaration of Human rights.

SOUNDBITE (German), Barbara LOCHBIHLER (Greens/EFA, DE), What we certainly should do, we should not adopt double standards and have different treatments for states that use the death penalty. The anti death penalty EP resolution this year is focusing on the US. there is one case I would like to rise there is Mumia Abu-Jamal whom has been on death penalty since more than 20 years. He is not rich, he is an Afro-American and on the time of the crime he was a politically active intellectual journalist. There also been many shortcomings in his trial. So I would like to ask the EU to do anything it can to make shore that the death sentence is not applied and to give him a faire trial.