Statement by the Spokesperson on the execution of Mr Kho Jabing on 20 May 2016 in Singapore

The recent execution of Mr Kho Jabing, a Malaysian national, in Singapore, runs counter to global trends towards instating a moratorium on the use of capital punishment. The European Union recalls its opposition to the use of capital punishment which can never be justified. 
 
The European Union believes that the death penalty is a cruel and inhumane punishment and has consistently called for its universal abolition. Experience worldwide has demonstrated that the death penalty fails to act as a deterrent to crime, which is why many countries have stopped applying it.
 
We therefore call on the Singaporean authorities to reinstate a moratorium on executions as a first step towards the universal abolition of death penalty.