By Blessing Chinagorom
The European Union Commission has reiterated call for the universal abolition of death penalty for States in America, that maintain capital punishment, to implement a moratorium and move towards abolition, in line with the worldwide trend.
In a statement released by EU Spokesperson over the execution of Brian Dorsey in State of Missouri on Tuesday, saying this is regrettable.
It was added that the execution of Mr. Dorsey was the first to be carried out in Missouri this year, meaning that it is resuming this inhuman and degrading practice.
“To date, 37 states in the US have abolished capital punishment in law or in practice, and we hope Missouri will eventually join these states”.
As a matter of principle, the EU strongly opposed the death penalty at all times and in all circumstances.
The EU stated that this is a violation of right to life, fails to act as a deterrent to crime and makes miscarriages of justice irreversible.
“197 innocent people have been exonerated from death row in the United States to date”.
Brian Dorsey, the convicted Missouri murderer whose fight against a death sentence gained support from dozens of correctional officers, was executed by lethal injection Tuesday in a state prison, according to his attorney Kirk Henderson, who was a witness.
The United States Supreme Court declined appeals to intervene in Dorsey’s behalf earlier in the day, and his request for clemency was turned down Monday by Missouri Governor. Mike Parson.
Dorsey, 52, who was sentenced to the capital punishment for the confessed killing of his cousin and her husband in 2006, his lawyers argued that Dorsey did not receive proper representation by his public defenders and had been “’fully rehabilitated’’ in prison.
Dorsey’s case drew national attention because of the unusually strong stance in favor of commutation by current and former prison staff – his lawyers said more than 70 correctional officers vouched for him – and the focus on execution protocols that could have put him at risk of extreme pain before he died.
No reports from the media at this time of last words spoken just prior to being executed. In a written statement dated April 7, Dorsey expressed remorse and apologized to the families of murder victims, Ben and Sarah Bonnie, which includes his own family, since he and Sarah were cousins.
