EU hails Sri Lanka’s stand against death penalty

hangingThe European Union (EU) today welcomed the announcement by the Minister of Justice Wijeyadasa Rajapaksha that Sri Lanka would vote in favour of the UN General Assembly resolution on a moratorium on the Death Penalty.

A joint statement issue by the EU in Colombo said that the European Union, Norway and Switzerland oppose the Death Penalty in all circumstances.

The statement noted that 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 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Its worldwide abolition is a priority.

The statement said that evidence from around the world shows there is no evidence that the Death Penalty deters crime. It also notes that the Death Penalty is irreversible, mistaken identity and wrongful convictions do happen, many death sentences are issued after confessions obtained by torture and innocent people die.

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.

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%. Many of those convicted spend years on Death Row, waiting to see if a reprieve will be granted.

Sri Lanka currently has more than 400 prisoners under sentence of Death.  101 countries have abolished the death penalty for all crimes.

“Make your voice heard for Sri Lanka to be part of the solution – not part of the problem.  Tweet #NoDeathPenalty,” the joint statement added.

The statement was signed by David Daly, Head of Delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Jean-Marin Schuh, Ambassador of France to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Dr. Jürgen Morhard, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Paolo Andrea Bartorelli, Ambassador of Italy to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Joanne Doornewaard, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Dr. Victor Chiujdea, Ambassador of Romania to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, James Dauris, British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Thorbjørn Gaustadsæther, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Sri Lanka and the Maldives and Heinz Walker-Nederkoorn, Ambassador of Switzerland to Sri Lanka and the Maldives. (Colombo Gazette)


  1. South Asia can’t have similar laws as the West, because the West has advanced, developed and people are informed. Asia is poor and crowded, therefore South Asia needs tough laws as Singapore and Indonesia. South Asia needs death penalty to move forward. Remember, the West wants you to give all rights to fool and criminals, in order to keep the developing countries in disaster to rule over-them.

    • Sri Lanka is supporting the western move just to protect their Sri Lankan leaders and its forces that committed the genocide and unspeakable mass murders, rape and torture against the Tamils.

  2. Sometime ago, England killed many innocent people using death penalty of courts system, until they were exposed. Why they want in Sri Lanka now? Looks like eliminating terrorism has hurt many countries than everyone thought.

  3. Sri lanka should abolish all form of death penalty, it is barbaric, cruel. and state do not have right to take some one life away. Also majority of people in Sri Lanka not approve death penalty.

    • Sam from the West loves to see South Asians are breeding like rabbits, so the country won’t have resources to educate the population as the West does. And the West also loves to see criminals are free or given only few months jail terms in order to see a disaster.

  4. Although innocents can be executed due to miscarriage of Justice, Sri Lankan Sinhala Buddhist regime and its forces committed one of the worst atrocities, mass rape, torture, murder and genocide of the 21st century and the new regime with leaders including from previous alleged war criminal regimes are now supporting against the capital punishment. It is laughable!


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