The death penalty is incompatible with the very concept of human dignity. Capital punishment is unacceptable and belongs to the past. Often the death sentence is a result of a legal process that does not meet the basic criteria for a fair trail. We also witness again and again how executions are carried out in inhumane and degrading ways. I call on the Commission to take a firm stand against capital punishment, and urge all states that have not yet done so to abolish this terrible practice.
Torture constitutes a gross violation of basic human rights and human dignity.
It is not possible to envisage any circumstance where torture would be permissible. Still we know that the use of torture and ill treatment is widespread. This is totally unacceptable. I welcome the announcement made last week by Ms. Anna Lindh, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, that the European Union is working on guidelines against torture. Last year we succeeded in adopting a resolution on Human Rights Defenders.