Europe against death penalty in all cases and circumstances

On the European and World Day against the Death Penalty, the Council of Europe and the European Union (EU) reiterate their strong opposition to capital punishment in all circumstances and for all cases.

In a joint declaration ​to mark this date, the 47-nation Council of Europe and the 28-member European Union, urge countries still applying the death penalty to commute any remaining death sentences to prison terms and to ensure that conditions of detention respect human dignity. 

All EU and Council of Europe member states have abolished the death penalty. Abolition in law or practice is a pre-condition of Council of Europe membership and the absolute ban on the death penalty in all circumstances is entrenched in both Protocols No 6 and No 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. The EU and the Council of Europe call on those European states that have not yet done so to ratify them.

Photo: CoE