The EU said it opposed Israel’s parliament approving a Death Penalty Bill, calling it a step back from Israel’s long-standing practice of not carrying out executions.
The EU holds a position against the death penalty “in all cases and in all circumstances”, according to a statement on behalf of the EU High Representative on Foreign Policy, Kaja Kallas, issued by the Council of the EU on Tuesday night.
Israel has maintained a de facto moratorium — meaning an effective, if not formally declared, halt — on executions and capital punishment sentencing for years, the statement noted.
The bill’s approval by the Israeli Parliament marked a regression from that practice and from Israel’s “own commitments”, the Council said, adding it was concerned about what it described as the bill’s “de facto discriminatory character”.
EU calls on Israel to follow earlier stance
The EU urged Israel to adhere to its obligations under international law and to “democratic principles”, as reflected in the EU-Israel Association Agreement, the Council said.
The death penalty violates the right to life and cannot be carried out without violating the absolute right to be free from torture and other ill-treatment, it added.
Capital punishment has “no proven deterrent effect” and makes judicial errors irreversible, the Council concluded.
