EU, Council of Europe call for global end to death penalty

The European Union and the Council of Europe have jointly called for the global abolition of death penalty, condemning the practice as inhuman and a violation of human dignity.

This is contained in a statement released ahead of the European and World Day Against the Death Penalty on October 10.

The institution advocated capital punishment in all cases while urging states involved in such practice to impose a ban as a first step towards abolition.

The statement listed states among the top executioners as China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and the United States.

The EU’s Representative, Josep Borrell, and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, expressed concern over the continued use of death penalty in several countries, despite the global trend toward its eradication.

“More than two-thirds of all countries have abolished the death penalty in law or practice,” they noted, adding that the number of countries carrying out executions in 2023 had dropped to a record low.

“According to reports, Iran alone accounted for 74% of all recorded executions,” the statement added.

The EU and Council of Europe expressed particular concern over the use of nitrogen hypoxia, a new and controversial method of execution in the United States.

The statement also pointed out that Belarus is the only European country where the death penalty is still practised.

EU and the Council of Europe said according to research, "death penalty has little or no impact on crime reduction."

They further warned of the irreversible consequences of miscarriages of justice in cases of execution.

They stated, “We call on those few remaining States that still carry out death sentences to introduce a moratorium as a first step towards full abolition. Proponents of the death penalty often base their argument on the notion that it deters crime.

“However, the evidence shows clearly that the death penalty has little or no effect on deterring or reducing crime. The death penalty does not make societies safer. Furthermore, capital punishment makes miscarriages of justice irreversible.

“The Council of Europe and the EU are committed to strengthening their cooperation to counter narratives promoting the reintroduction of the death penalty, including in Europe, and to foster an open and democratic debate towards its full abolition in all parts of the world."

Both institutions pledged to support civil society efforts and engage with younger generations to promote abolition worldwide.

“The death penalty is a relic of the past which should have no place in the 21st century. It has to be abolished now,” the statement said.