The European Union (EU) has rejected the death sentence handed to 12 Nigerian soldiers by the General Court Martial in Nigeria after they were found guilty of mutiny.
The EU in a statement issued on Thursday on the occasion of the World Day against Death Penalty condemned all death sentences especially after mass trials as was the case with the Nigerian soldiers.
The union, headed by the Secretary-General, Mr Thorbjørn Jagland, argued that execution had stopped in that region of the world for close to two decades.
“On the European and World Day against the Death Penalty, the European Union and the Council of Europe reaffirm their strong and absolute opposition to capital punishment in all cases and under all circumstances, and their commitment to its worldwide abolition.
“We are deeply concerned about setbacks in some countries, such as recent mass trials leading to a vast number of death sentences. No execution has taken place in our member states in the last 17 years,” the statement read.
The European Union and the Council of Europe welcomed the fact that all Member States of the European Union had ratified both Protocols 6 and 13 to the European Convention on Human Rights.
They further urged all other European States that had not done so to sign and ratify the instruments meant to abolish the death penalty.
