Taiwan executes men convicted of murder

SIX Taiwanese men convicted of murder have been executed by firing squad, the Justice Ministry says.
THE executions of the six, who were convicted for killing nine people in total, were conducted at four different prisons, Deputy Justice Minister Chen Ming-tang told a news conference after Friday's executions.
The ministry's last execution order was issued on April 29, 2014. The ministry says more than 80 per cent of people in Taiwan are in favour of keeping the death penalty. The European Union called on the authorities in Taiwan to introduce an immediate moratorium on executions. "We recognise the suffering of the victims of the crimes involved and express our sincere sympathy to their families. However, the EU reiterates that the death penalty can never be justified and calls for its universal abolition," read a statement from EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini. Dozens of activists from the Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty protested outside the ministry, while rights group Amnesty International condemned the executions.