Monsters and Critics,
The European Union is 'deeply concerned' by the recent spate of hangings in Iran and insists that the Islamic Republic abolish the death penalty, officials said Thursday.
Over the last week, at least 16 people have been hanged in Iran on charges of drug trafficking, rape and anti-government activities. The EU is firmly opposed to the death penalty and regularly criticizes nations that use it, including the United States and Japan.
'The EU is deeply concerned about the use of the death penalty in Iran. Executions are taking place at an alarming rate,' the bloc's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, said in a statement backed by all 27 EU members.
Iran has frequently drawn the EU's wrath for its hanging policy, but has seldom carried out so many executions in so short a time.
'The EU calls upon the Iranian authorities to halt all pending executions immediately and to declare a moratorium on death penalty as soon as possible,' the statement said. Iran's policy of public executions breaks international law, it added.
Would-be EU members Croatia and Turkey also backed the statement.
