On the World and European Day Against the Death Penalty, we, European Human Rights Ambassadors, reiterate our opposition to the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle.
In 2023 alone, at least 1,150 death sentences were carried out. According to public statistics, most people were executed in Iran, Saudi Arabia and Somalia in 2023. However, we must assume that the global number is actually much higher, as countries such as China, Vietnam and North Korea do not publish the figures for their executions.
Iran provides a particularly egregious example, where use of the death penalty has reached a critical level: large numbers of executions have been carried out for alleged offences that do not meet the threshold of "the most serious crimes" under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Executions are also used as a means of political repression against demonstrators, dissidents and ethnic minorities in association with the "Woman Life Freedom" movement. We strongly condemn this application of the death penalty and call on Iran to end reprisals against human rights defenders immediately. We call on Iran to issue a moratorium on executions now.
Today, on the World and European Day Against the Death Penalty, our thoughts are especially with those who are sentenced to death and executed because of their political engagement, their commitment to human rights, their sexual orientation or their ethnic or religious affiliation.
