The European Union deeply regrets the execution of Brian Dorsey in the State of Missouri.

The execution of Mr. Dorsey was the first to be carried out in Missouri this year, meaning that it is resuming this inhuman and degrading practice. To date, 37 states in the US have abolished capital punishment in law or in practice, and we hope Missouri will eventually join these states.  

As a matter of principle, the EU strongly opposes the death penalty at all times and in all circumstances. It is a violation of the right to life, fails to act as a deterrent to crime and makes miscarriages of justice irreversible. 197 innocent people have been exonerated from death row in the United States to date.

The EU continues to call for the universal abolition of the death penalty and for States, that maintain the capital punishment, to implement a moratorium and move towards abolition, in line with the worldwide trend.