The 8th World Congress against the Death Penalty took place in Berlin on 15-18 November 2022. This event brings together more than 1000 participants from 90 countries– human rights activists and public figures who work towards the abolition.
The Council of Europe’s Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić, participated in the opening ceremony on 15 November. The Council of Europe also took part in the “Abolitionist Village” – a dedicated space where the Council of Europe’s delegation promoted the Organisation’s work and publications on the abolition. In addition, the Council of Europe’s delegate, Mr Sergey Dikman, spoke at the panel “How to make the abolition of the death penalty irreversible?” where he reflected on the role of the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights in settinb up the scene for a complete abolition in Europe. A financial support was provided to the exhibition “Faces of abolition” exhibited at the Humboldt University of Berlin – one of the venues of the Congress.
The event became a unique platform of exchange of idead on how to further promote the abolition and to counter any attempts to reinstate the capital punishment where it was already abolished.
The Congress was organised by the Council of Europe’s partners: a Paris-based NGO “Together against the Death Penalty” and the World Coalition against the Death Penalty.
