Greens criticise shameful back-down on anti-death penalty day

The Greens in the European Parliament strongly criticised the decision of the Portuguese EU presidency to abandon the idea of a European day against the death penalty after opposition from the Polish government. Commenting on the decision, Greens/EFA Co-Presidents Monica Frassoni and Dany Cohn-Bendit said: 

"The shameful back-down by the Portuguese presidency on holding an anti-death penalty day is nothing short of a scandal."

"Opposition to the death penalty is a fundamental European value and the EU is currently leading an international campaign for a moratorium on the death penalty. By giving in to the nonsensical arguments of the Polish government, the EU is sending the wrong message about its commitment to tackling this important issue, just a few days before the presentation of the resolution for a moratorium on the death penalty at the UN General Assembly. 

The European parliament should now take the initiative and relaunch attempts to create an EU-wide anti-death penalty day. The Greens/EFA group will propose this at tomorrow's meeting of the Parliament's group leaders."

Press Service of the Greens/EFA Group
in the European Parliament

Richard More O' Ferrall,
Press Officer,
The Greens/EFA in the European Parliament
Tel: Brussels +32 2 2841667 / Strasburg +33 3 88174375
Mobile: +32-477-44-38-42
Fax: 0032 2 2844944
email: richard.moreoferrall@europarl.europa.eu