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EU-ACP: Death penalty is the greatest abuse of human rights

Date

19 Mar 2014

Sections

Justice & Home Affairs
“The EPP Group will strongly oppose the death penalty, the ultimate breach in human rights”, insisted EPP Group Coordinator in the European Parliament’s Development Committee, Gay Mitchell MEP. During a debate in Strasbourg today, ACP delegates at the 27th EU-ACP Joint Parliamentary Assembly warned that action against Uganda and Nigeria could lead to the end of cooperation under the Cotonou Agreement. The two countries are under the spotlight because of the recently-passed controversial laws that punish homosexuality.
 
"No EU state may have the death penalty nor accept severe prison sentences for sexual activities among consenting adults. The EU does sometimes try to export its culture from Europe to the developing world and ACP MPs have a point when they claim this. However, in the area of the death penalty, the EU treats all countries similarly. If, say, New Zealand or Norway introduced a law like this we would do exactly the same", Gay Mitchell said. "It is not only alarming that Uganda or Nigeria are passing such laws, what is alarming is that other ACP countries support such measures. This is unacceptable and we will not be silent", he concluded.
 
The EPP Group is by far the largest political group in the European Parliament with 274 Members from 27 Member States.
 
MEP Contacts
Gay MITCHELL
BRU - Tel: +32 (0)2 2845228 Fax: +32 (0)2 2849228
STR - Tel: +33 (0)3 88 175228 Fax: +33 (0)3 88 179228
 
Press Contacts
Agata Byczewska
Phone: +32 473 84 10 93

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