EU opposes death sentence in Vietnamese murder trial

Farmers of Dong Tam village standing between police during the verdict in their trial over the deaths of three police officers and a farmer during a land dispute in Jan 9, at a court in Hanoi (Sept 14, 2020). - Vietnam News/ANN

HANOI, Sept 18 (dpa): The European Union stated its opposition on Friday to the use of "capital punishment in all its forms" following two death sentences being handed out at a Vietnamese murder trial this week.

"There is a large and growing consensus in the world against the use of the death penalty. The EU urges Vietnam to adopt a moratorium on its use, as a first step towards abolition," an EU spokesperson said in the statement.