10/10/2011
On the World Day Against the Death Penalty, which has its ninth anniversary today, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton reaffirmed the EU's commitment to the abolition of the death penalty worldwide.
“Experience in Europe has taught us that the death penalty does not prevent an increase in violent crime, nor does it bring justice to the victims of such crimes”, stated Catherine Ashton and Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary-General of the Council of Europe. “Any capital punishment resulting from miscarriage of justice, from which no legal system can be immune, represents irreversible loss of human life.”
The EU actively supports the civil society organisations around the world campaigning for the abolition of capital punishment. "I pledge my continued personal commitment, as well as that of the European Union, to doing away with the death penalty, which has no place in the modern world", said Mrs. Ashton.
Currently Belarus is the only country in Europe that still applies the death penalty. The EU urges it to introduce a moratorium with a view to the complete abolition of this punishment, adding that it “cannot ignore the fact” that a total of 58 countries in the world still retain the death penalty.
EU foreign ministers, who are also meeting today, noted the continuing increase in the number of executions in Iran, including executions of minors. They called on Iran to establish a moratorium on capital punishment and to live up to its international human rights obligations. In addition, the Council has subjected those responsible for the grave human rights violations in Iran to an asset freeze and a ban on entering EU territory.
This year the World Day Against the Death Penalty is being commemorated for the ninth time. It was founded by the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty which consists of international non-governmental organisations, bar associations and local bodies around the world committed to actively seeking the abolition of capital punishment.
The main theme for this year’s Day is the inhumanity of the death penalty, as a cruel, inhumane and degrading form of treatment and punishment.
More information:
Full text of the declaration (pdf)
Council conclusions on Iran (pdf)
Press conference webcast
EU annual report on Human Rights in the World (pdf)
Reports by International Federation for Human Rights
World Coalition Against the Death Penalty