Joint Local Statement on two death penalty cases in Singapore

Tuesday, 15.02.2022 – Thursday, 31.03.2022

Public event

The Heads of Mission of the European Union (EU), EU Member States and Norway and Switzerland issue the following joint statement in Singapore:

The Delegation of the European Union issues the following statement together with the diplomatic missions of the EU Member States and the diplomatic missions of Norway and Switzerland in Singapore: 

The EU Delegation and the diplomatic missions of the EU Member States, Norway and Switzerland call on the Singapore authorities to halt the two executions scheduled for Wednesday, 16 February 2022, and to commute the sentences to a non-capital sentence. 

The EU Delegation and the diplomatic missions of the EU Member States, Norway and  Switzerland oppose the use of capital punishment, which can never be justified, and advocate for Singapore to adopt a moratorium on all executions as a positive first step towards its abolition.

Today, more than two thirds of the countries of the world have become abolitionist in law or practice, which confirms a global trend in favour of the abolition of the death penalty. No compelling evidence exists to show that the death penalty serves as a more efficient deterrent to crime than imprisonment. Moreover, rehabilitation as an objective of modern criminal law is frustrated by the application of capital punishment. Furthermore, any errors - inevitable in any legal system - are irreversible.

The EU Delegation and the diplomatic missions of the EU Member States, Norway ad Switzerland will continue to actively work to further the universal trend towards the eradication of the death penalty. 

Location: Singapore