European Union foreign ministers urged the interim Iraqi government today not to reinstate the death penalty.
Some Baghdad leaders have said the death penalty could be brought back for a limited period.
"The European Union reconfirms its opposition to the death penalty in all cases," the ministers of the 25-nation bloc said in the draft of a statement after they had met Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari.
The new Iraqi government has not yet decided whether to reintroduce the death penalty, which was suspended under US occupation. If it did, toppled President Saddam Hussein might be executed.