The execution of William Charles Morva in the US State of Virginia on 6 July 2017, in spite of the indications that he suffered from severe mental illness, is contrary to widely accepted human rights norms and to the minimum standards set forth according to international human rights law.

We regret that the numerous calls for clemency, including those of the EU, went unheeded.

Death penalty remains an unacceptable denial of human rights and dignity and fails to act as a deterrent to crime. The European Union is strongly and unequivocally opposed to the use of capital punishment under all circumstances and aims at its universal abolition.