EU Supports World Day against the Death Penalty

Speaking at a function organized by local civil society organization 'Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture – Liberia' at New Kru Town, Madame Sundblad said the Council of Europe and the European Union welcome the global trend towards the abolition of capital punishment. She applauded Liberia for keeping in place the moratorium the Government of Liberia has imposed on the death penalty stressing that today more than two thirds of all countries have abolished the death penalty in either law or practice.

Madame Sundblad noted that the European Union continues to underline that the death penalty is cruel, inhumane and incompatible with human dignity and the right to life. Also, the death penalty is irreversible in cases of miscarriage of justice and does not deter crime more effectively than other punishments. When the death penalty is abolished it does not lead to an increase in crime.

Panel members, including representatives of the Ministry of Justice, the judiciary, the Inter-Religious Council and the ECOWAS Commission, discussed the relevance of abolishing the death penalty in Liberia.