(BRUSSELS) - The European Union on Saturday condemned the execution of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

"The EU condemns the crimes committed by Saddam and also the death penalty," Cristina Gallach, a spokeswoman for Javier Solana, the EU high representative for foreign affairs, told AFP.

The reaction came hours after the hanging of Saddam in Baghdad. The death penalty is banned throughout the European Union.

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