The European Union condemns today’s public execution of a man in Farah, Afghanistan, in the strongest terms. 

As a matter of principle, the European Union strongly opposes the death penalty at all times and in all circumstances. It is a cruel and inhumane punishment, which fails to act as a deterrent to crime and represents an unacceptable denial of human dignity and integrity.

The European Union continues to work for the universal abolition of the death penalty. Human rights issues are at the core of EU’s internal and external relations, directly affecting all our policies. 

The European Union calls on the Taliban to stop any future executions and instead pursue a policy towards the abolition of capital punishment.