The European Parliament adopted a resolution on India: execution of Mohammad Afzal Guru and its implications.
The resolution was tabled by the Greens/EFA, EPP, S&D, ALDE and GUE/NGL groups.
It condemns the Government of India’s execution in secret on 9 February 2013 of Afzal Guru who was convicted of conspiracy in relation to the December 2001 attack on the Parliament of India. Members state that the execution is in opposition to the worldwide trend towards the abolition of capital punishment, noting that 154 countries in the world have abolished the death penalty de jure or de facto.
Parliament reiterates its long-standing opposition to the death penalty, which is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, violating the right to life as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It calls on the Government of India not to approve any execution order in the future, and to adopt legislation introducing a permanent moratorium on executions, with the objective of abolishing the death penalty in the near future.