EU regrets Indonesian executions, urges moratorium

BRUSSELS, Sep 22 (Reuters) - The European Union said it was disappointed by Indonesia's execution of three Christian militants today and urged it to reinstate a moratorium on the death penalty.

A statement from the Finnish presidency of the 25-country union said the executions had been carried out despite numerous expressions of concern by the EU to the Indonesian authorities.

''The presidency expresses its regret,'' it said. ''The presidency urges the Indonesian government to refrain from carrying out further executions, and thereby to reinstate the moratorium on the death penalty.'' The three militants were executed by a police firing squad early on Friday amid tight security in Palu, capital of Central Sulawesi province.

Fabianus Tibo, Marianus Riwu and Dominggus Silva had been sentenced to death in 2001 after being found guilty of leading a mob in an attack that killed more than 200 people at an Islamic boarding school during Muslim-Christian clashes.

REUTERS SY SND1422