ID :
100726
Sun, 01/17/2010 - 20:54
Auther :

STATEMENT BY EU

Ulaanbaatar,/MONTSAME/ A High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union (EU) Catherine M. Ashton has issued a declaration on Mongolia's moratorium to abolish the capital punishment.
The declaration said, "The European Union welcomes the announcement on 14 January 2010, of a moratorium on the use of the death penalty in Mongolia. The EU congratulates the Mongolian President, the State Great Khural (parliament), the Mongolian government and Mongolian people on this important decision. The EU encourages Mongolia to commute all existing death sentences into life sentences."
According to the declaration, the EU considers that the abolition of capital punishment contributes to the enhancement of human dignity. The EU considers capital punishment to be a cruel and inhuman punishment, which fails to provide deterrence to criminal behavior and represents an unacceptable of human dignity and integrity.
The EU reaffirms its objective of working towards universal abolition of the death penalty. It hopes the moratorium in Mongolia is the first step towards the abolition of the death penalty which might encourage other countries in the region of follow suit.
The Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the Countries of the Stabilization and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia align themselves with this declaration.
Croatia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilization and Association Process.
B.Khuder


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