"The European Union, which has recently reasserted to Iran its opposition to death penalty in any circumstance, is strongly concerned about eight Israeli women and one Israeli man having been sentenced to stoning and the risk they may be executed soon". The position against death penalty has been taken by the current French presidency of the EU, that adds: "The Islamic Republic of Iran has committed itself to enforcing a moratorium on stoning". That’s why the EU "urges Iran to respect the international regulations on human rights" and "urges the Iranian Government and Parliament to repeal, in law as well as in practice, any recourse to cruel and degrading punishments, especially recourse to stoning, as a form of execution". In addition, the EU asks "that these executions be immediately suspended and the sentences to death by stoning that have just been passed be commuted". The President of the EU Parliament, Hans-Gert Poettering, made an appeal today to the Iranian authorities not to execute Mohammed Fadaei et Behnood Shojaee, "charged with crimes committed when they were under age".
