USA - Virginia. EU Sharply Critical Of Prieto Execution In Virginia.

EU Sharply Critical Of Prieto Execution In Virginia. The European Union has sharply criticized the execution of Alfredo Prieto in the US state of Virginia on October 1, 2015, despite indications that Prieto was suffering from a mental disability. Numerous calls for clemency, including those of the EU, went unheeded. According to a statement from the EU's External Action spokesperson, Catherine Ray, the execution of Prieto was "contrary to widely accepted human rights norms and to the minimum standards set forth according to international human rights law." The statement noted that while, "We recognize the seriousness of the crimes involved and extend our sympathy to the families and friends of the victims ... the European Union is opposed to the use of capital punishment under all circumstances and aims at its universal abolition, seeking a global moratorium on the death penalty as a first step."