European Union foreign ministers have urged Iraq’s interim government not to reinstate capital punishment as it continues to develop the nation’s justice system. “The European Union reconfirms its opposition to the death penalty in all cases,” the ministers said in a draft statement to Iraq Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari. “The message has been very clear … We have this policy, and we will maintain this policy,” said Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot at a news conference with Zebari. The European Union has a long-standing policy against capital punishment, and all 25 member nations have abandoned the practice. Although the death penalty was suspended in Iraq during the U.S.-led occupation, some senior-level Iraqi politicians have publicly stated that they intend to reinstate the death penalty for certain crimes now that control of the government has been given back to the Iraqi people. The discussion about capital punishment took place as Zebari, himself an opponent of capital punishment, met with European Union leaders to discuss EU support for rebuilding efforts in Iraq. He noted that the nation is facing an ever-deteriorating security situation and that funding from the EU is essential to organizing upcoming elections. (Reuters, July 12, 2004) See International Death Penalty.