Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The European Union expressed its deep regret over the execution of Michael Smith in the state of Oklahoma, and deplores the scheduled execution of Brian Dorsey in Missouri on April 9. According to a European statement issued by the press office of the European External Action Directorate, “The execution of Smith was the first carried out by Oklahoma this year.” Now, 37 states in the United States have abolished the death penalty in law or in practice, and hopefully Oklahoma will eventually join these states.
The statement added, "In principle, the European Union strongly opposes the death penalty at all times and in all circumstances. It is a violation of the right to life, does not constitute a deterrent to crime, and represents the ultimate punishment that makes the miscarriage of justice irreversible. 197 innocent people have been acquitted." of those on death row in the United States to date.
The statement concluded by saying, “The European Union continues to call for the global abolition of the death penalty, and also calls on countries that maintain the death penalty to implement a moratorium on it and move towards abolition, in line with the global trend.”