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Death Penalty
Europe is today the only region in
the world where the death penalty is no longer applied. All
the Council of Europe's 47 member states have either
abolished capital punishment or instituted a moratorium on
executions.
The Council of Europe played a pioneering role in the battle
for abolition, believing that the death penalty has no place
in democratic societies.
This determination to eradicate the death penalty was reflected in Protocol No.6 to the European Convention on Human Rights, on the abolition of the death penalty in peacetime, which was adopted in April 1983, following an initiative from the Parliamentary Assembly. In 2002, another
important step was taken with the adoption of Protocol No.
13 on the abolition of capital punishment in all
circumstances.
The Council has made abolition of the death penalty a
prerequisite for membership. As a result, no execution has
taken place on the territory of the organisation's member
states since 1997. The Parliamentary Assembly continues to
monitor the capital punishment issue. It has extended its
action to countries enjoying observer status with the
Council - this mainly concerns Japan and the United States.
Podcast
More information
TV debate "View Point"