DHAKA: The delegation of the European Union (EU) to Bangladesh recalled that the EU is opposed to the use of capital punishment in all cases and under all circumstances, and has consistently called for its universal abolition.

The EU delegation expressed their concern in a statement on Wednesday immediate after the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) awarded death penalty to Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami.     

The delegation has followed the judicial proceedings in Bangladesh concerning the crimes committed during the war preceding the independence of Bangladesh in 1971.

From the start of the trials, the EU Delegation has repeatedly stressed its concern about the possible application of the death penalty under the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, the statement added.

The case of Motiur Rahman Nizami has now reached a stage where an execution of the death sentence constitutes a serious threat. Despite Nizami’s right to appeal, the EU delegation to Bangladesh reiterates its principal position against the death penalty.

The European Union Delegation to Bangladesh calls on the Bangladeshi authorities to commute the sentence and to introduce a moratorium on executions as a first step towards definitive abolition of capital punishment.

BDST: 1812 HRS, OCT 29, 2014