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The European Union and the Council of Europe, on Wednesday, issued a joint call for the global abolition of the death penalty, condemning the practice as inhumane and a violation of human dignity.
In a statement released ahead of the European and World Day Against the Death Penalty on October 10, the two institutions reaffirmed their opposition to capital punishment in all cases and urged the few remaining states still carrying out executions to impose a moratorium as a first step towards abolition.
The EU’s High Representative, Josep Borrell, and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, expressed concern over the continued use of the 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.
However, the statement highlighted that five countries—China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and the United States—remain among the top executioners.
“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.
Challenging proponents of capital punishment who argue that it deters crime, the EU and the Council of Europe stressed that research shows the 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.
“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,” the statement noted.
Both institutions vowed to strengthen their cooperation to counter growing narratives in favour of reintroducing the death penalty, including in parts of Europe.
They also 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,” it concluded.
