Death penalty

10 October - European Day against the death penalty

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe decided on 26 September 2007, to declare a ''European Day against the Death Penalty,'' which is held annually on 10 October.

The Council of Europe has been a pioneer in the abolition process which has made Europe a de facto death-penalty-free zone since 1997.

The day is a European contribution to the World Day against the Death Penalty, which is held annually on the same day.


10 October 2009: European Day against the Death Penalty

Death Penalty Day 2009 sees the Council of Europe pushing its campaign for world-wide abolition into new territory with an in-depth look at "why death is not justice", and a focus on how the criminal justice system can deal with offenders.

Experts from Slovenia and Sweden, respectively the countries holding the presidency of the Council of Europe and the European Union, aired their views during a talk show recorded in Strasbourg before a live audience and screened worldwide via the internet to mark the Day.

The Council is also taking its argument to the global public, with a question and answer session hosted on the social networking site Twitter, highlighting the reasons for the Council’s absolute opposition to executions


Campaign against the death penalty on Twitter
Twitter account holders were invited to send in their questions about the campaign against the death penalty to be answered by the Council of Europe’s experts and Clive Stafford Smith, a human rights lawyer and founder of Reprieve.
Replies from Council of Europe
Replies from Clive Stafford-Smith

MULTIMEDIA DOCUMENTS
Videos
TV Spot
Interview with Clive Stafford-Smith
Video of Maud De Boer-Buquicchio
Recorded debate

Podcasts

''Death is not Justice''
Bianca Jagger against the death penalty
Statements
Joint Statement - Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers / Presidency of the European Union
Swedish Presidency of the European Union
Slovenian Chairmanship of Committee of Ministers
Joint statement on the imminent execution of Vasily Yusepchuk in Belarus
Viewpoint of Thomas Hammarberg


Reference Site
Human rights
Other Information
Fact Sheet
Leaflet
File: death penalty
Useful Link
Amnesty International
Word Coalition
Poster

Full poster download
(4 MB pdf)
Chronology
2008 Day
2007 Day