EGYPT: ASHTON, EU WORKS FOR THE ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY

September 15, 2011: the European Union will work for the abolition of capital punishment in Egypt, EU High Representative Catherine Ashton said in reply to a question from Irish Social Democratic European parliamentarian Nessa Childers. Childers asked the EU's position on the possibility of ex president Hosni Mubarak being sentenced to death.
Ashton explained that “the abolition of the death penalty is raised in all relevant bilateral contacts with the Government in Cairo, especially in the context of the EU-Egypt political conversations”.
“Initiatives are taking place at the local level on various occasions and an informal group on human rights has been created to monitor all death penalty cases”, Ashton clarified.
She pointed out that the European External Action Service “is committed to working towards the elimination of the death penalty in Egypt” and the issue “will be confronted systematically with the Egyptian authorities.” (Sources: ANSA, 15/09/2011)