EU Regrets Latest Execution in Texas, Urges Abolition of Death Penalty in US

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The European Union said on Friday that it deeply regretted the latest execution in the US state of Texas and a botched attempt in Idaho as it reiterated calls for the abolition of the death penalty in the United States.

“The European Union deeply regrets the execution of Ivan Cantu in the State of Texas on Wednesday … We also take note of the fact that the State of Idaho resumed its use of capital punishment also on Wednesday after a 12-year break,” the EU external action service said in a statement.

Ivan Cantu, 50, was executed for the alleged murder of his cousin and his cousin’s fiancee despite post-trial evidence raising questions about his guilt. Cantu denied the charges in his final statement before being administered a lethal injection. Also on Wednesday, Idaho authorities failed to insert an IV line while trying to administer a lethal injection to 73-year-old Thomas Creech, who has been on death row for 50 years after being convicted of five murders.

The EU described lethal injection as a "cruel, inhuman, and degrading punishment" and insisted that the death penalty was a violation of the right to life. It welcomed the fact that 29 of the 50 US states had either abolished or halted capital punishment but said it was concerned that the number of executions in the country was rising again.