EU writes to President over moves to resume death penalty

The Delegation of the European Union (EU) yesterday together with the EU Heads of Missions, the High Commissioner of Canada, and the Ambassador of Norway wrote to President Maithripala Sirisena calling for verification of plans to resume the death penalty in Sri Lanka. 

The Delegation of the European Union, the missions of the EU Member States in Sri Lanka as well as the diplomatic missions of the Governments of Canada and Norway in Sri Lanka have written to President Maithripala Sirisena to verify the worrying information in the public domain about the intention of the Sri Lankan government to resume implementing the death penalty after a moratorium of more than 40 years.

The mentioned diplomatic missions have made known in their letter that they strongly and unequivocally oppose capital punishment in all circumstances and in all cases.  The death penalty is incompatible with human dignity, does not have any proven deterrent effect, and allows judicial errors to become fatal and irreversible. 

The diplomatic missions have requested the President to maintain the moratorium on the implementation of the death penalty and to uphold Sri Lanka’s tradition of opposition to capital punishment. 

The delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka, British High Commission, Embassy of France, Embassy of Germany, Embassy of Italy, Embassy of the Netherlands, Embassy of Romania, 

High Commission of Canada, and the Royal Norwegian Embassy.