Joint local statement on executions in Japan

The European Union Delegation, the Heads of Mission of EU Member States and the Heads of Mission of Iceland and Norway issue the following statement in Japan:

On 19 December 2017, two executions were carried out in Japan, adding to twenty six other persons that have been executed since March 2012. The European Union (EU), its Member States, Iceland and Norway have consistently and repeatedly called on the Japanese authorities to adopt a moratorium on executions, recalling the period of 20 months before March 2012 when no executions in the country took place.

We hold a strong and principled position against the death penalty and we are opposed to the use of capital punishment under any circumstances. The death penalty is cruel and inhuman, and has not been shown in any way to act as a deterrent to crime. Furthermore, any errors - inevitable in any legal system - are irreversible. We will continue our active pursuit of its abolition worldwide.

We recognise that the death penalty is a difficult, emotive issue, particularly with regards to the suffering of victims of crimes and of their relatives. But it is an issue on which all governments, in particular those standing for the full enjoyment of human rights and dignity, need to show leadership.

Therefore, taking into account the voices of those who, in Japan and abroad, call for a thorough review of capital punishment and its place in the overall criminal justice system, we call on Japanese authorities to promote an open, public debate on this issue. Such a debate would allow the public to assess for themselves the evidence from other countries that an abolition of the death penalty can actually strengthen the capacity of judicial systems to effectively deliver justice, prevent irreversible miscarriages of justice, and meet with public acceptance.