EU deplores execution of alleged juvenile in Yemen

EU High Representative Catherine Ashton Saturday strongly deplored the execution of Abdul Karim Mohammad Haza'a today in Yemen. The European Union had, along with international partners, called for the suspension of the death sentence in order to gather more information on the case, notably regarding the age of the executed, said Michael Mann, Ashton's spokesman, in a statement here tonight. "International treaties to which Yemen is a party, as well as Yemen's penal law, specifically prohibit the execution of anyone convicted of committing a crime when under the age of 18," it noted. "Given the number of young offenders currently on death row in Yemen, the High Representative calls on the Yemeni government to respect its obligations under international human rights law and to take seriously the dialogue with the international community on this issue," it added. (end) nk.bs