Joint Local Statement on the death penalty case of Pannir Selvam a/l Pranthaman

Joint Local Statement on the death penalty case of Pannir Selvam a/l Pranthaman

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, Switzerland and the United Kingdom in Singapore:

The EU Delegation and the diplomatic missions of the EU Member States and of Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom call on the authorities of Singapore to halt the execution of Mr Pannir Selvam a/l Pranthaman, and to commute his sentence to a non-capital sentence.

We reiterate our strong opposition to the use of capital punishment in all cases and in all circumstances. The death penalty is a cruel, inhumane and degrading punishment, representing the ultimate denial of human dignity. The available evidence does not support its use as a deterrent to crime, and it makes miscarriages of justice irreversible.

We call on Singapore - among the few remaining States that still carry out death sentences - to introduce a moratorium as a first step towards abolition, in line with the worldwide trend.