A new dec­la­ra­tion issued by Catherine Ashton, the European Union​’s High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, expressed deep con­cerns about the pos­si­ble exe­cu­tion of Troy Anthony Davis, a death row inmate in Georgia. Evidence that emerged after his tri­al has thrown doubt about his con­vic­tion. The High Representative, writ­ing on behalf of the EU, stat­ed, ​“The EU has repeat­ed­ly inter­vened on behalf of Mr. Davis and notes that seri­ous and com­pelling doubts regard­ing his cul­pa­bil­i­ty con­tin­ue to per­sist. The EU there­fore calls for a com­mu­ta­tion of his death sentence.”

The com­plete state­ment appears below. 

EUROPEAN UNION EN
Brussels, 8 June 2011
11083/​11
PRESSE 164


Declaration by the High Representative, Catherine Ashton,
on behalf of the European Union
on the death penal­ty of Troy Davis


The European Union has fol­lowed the lat­est devel­op­ments in the case of Mr. Troy Davis, a
U.S. cit­i­zen sen­tenced to death in the State of Georgia, with great con­cern. He may now be
at risk of immi­nent exe­cu­tion fol­low­ing the deci­sion of the U.S. Supreme Court on 28
March 2011 not to con­sid­er his final appeal and the announce­ment by the State of Georgia
to change to an alter­na­tive drug that is more read­i­ly avail­able in its three drug com­bi­na­tion
for executions.


The EU has repeat­ed­ly inter­vened on behalf of Mr. Davis and notes that seri­ous and
com­pelling doubts regard­ing his cul­pa­bil­i­ty con­tin­ue to per­sist. The EU there­fore calls for
a com­mu­ta­tion of his death sentence.


The European Union reaf­firms its prin­ci­pled and long­stand­ing oppo­si­tion to the use of
cap­i­tal pun­ish­ment under all circumstances.

(Declaration by the High Representative, Catherine Ashton, on behalf of the European Union on the death penal­ty of Troy Davis, June 8, 2011). See Innocence and International.

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