Hungarian PM calls for EU debate on reintroduction of the death penalty

Hungary's prime minister has said he wants to debate the possible reintroduction of the death penalty with his European Union partners.

Viktor Orban said current penalties for serious crime were too lenient and capital punishment should be "kept on the agenda" in Hungary.

He raised the issue after the murder of a young tobacconist last week.

Austrian MEP Joerg Leichtfried said bringing back the death penalty would be "barbaric".

Orban's Fidesz party has been coming under increasing pressure as it loses ground to the far-right Eurosceptic Jobbik party.

Last week a 21-year-old female shop assistant was murdered in the western town of Kaposvar. Her funeral was held on Wednesday.

The prime minister's comments have aroused controversy at home and abroad. Fidesz, which has governed the country since 2010, is expected to face a strong challenge from Jobbik when elections are held in 2018.

The leader of the Fidesz parliamentary group, Antal Rogan, said on state radio that he was aware that capital punishment was not permitted under EU rules. But he said "a substantial debate can be raised [at] EU level" if a member state disagrees.

European Parliament President Martin Schulz said he would contact Mr Orban to discuss the issue.

The Council of Europe (CoE) said the return of the death penalty would be "contrary to the values that Europe stands for". Its human rights commissioner, Nils Muiznieks, expressed his concern and called on Hungary to pay more attention to human rights.