On 1 April 2020, Weng Jen-hsien, convicted of murdering six people, was executed in Taipei. The European Union condemns this crime in the strongest terms and expresses its sincere sympathy to the family of his victims. At the same time, the EU recalls its opposition to the use of capital punishment under any circumstances.  

The EU believes that the death penalty 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 therefore calls on Taiwan to refrain from any future executions, to reinstate and maintain a de facto moratorium, and to pursue a consistent policy towards the abolition of the death penalty in Taiwan.