The United Kingdom and the European Union on Tuesday opposed the
execution of the death penalty of Jamaat leader Abdul Qader Molla.
In a statement, senior British foreign office minister Baroness Warsi
said that she was deeply concerned at reports of plans to execute Abdul
Qader Molla. ‘The UK opposes the death penalty in all circumstances as a
matter of principle.’
‘We consider that its use undermines human dignity and that there is no conclusive evidence of its deterrent value.’
‘We further note that Abdul Qader Molla was sentenced to death following
an appeal permitted under retrospectively applied legislation, and that
he was not permitted to review his sentence before the Supreme Court.’
‘Bangladesh’s commitments under the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights (ICCPR) require that all citizens be treated equally
before the law.’
‘The UK calls again for Bangladesh to implement a moratorium on the
death penalty leading to the eventual abolition of the death penalty.’
In another statement, the EU heads of mission in Dhaka said that they
were opposed to the use of capital punishment in all cases and under all
circumstances and had consistently called for its universal abolition.
It said that the European Union had 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 European Union has repeatedly voiced
its concern about the possible application of the death penalty under
the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act.
The statement said the case of Abdul Quader Molla had now reached a
stage where an execution of the death sentence given by the Supreme
Court on September 17 could be imminent.
The European Union notes the concerns that have been expressed by the
United Nations special rapporteurs on independence of judges and lawyers
and on summary executions regarding the lack of opportunity for appeal
or review of the sentence.
The European Union calls for these concerns to be addressed before taking the process further.
In this context, the EU iterates its position regarding the recent death
penalties issued by the International Crimes Tribunal and the Supreme
Court as well as the 152 death sentences that were recently handed down
in the trial following the BDR mutiny in 2009.
The European Union calls on the Bangladeshi authorities to commute these
sentences and to introduce a moratorium on executions as a first step
towards definitive abolition of capital punishment. (source)