The European Union (EU) and the Council of Europe have reaffirmed their opposition to the death penalty or its reintroduction, in all cases and in all circumstances.
“The death penalty is an inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, representing the ultimate denial of human dignity,” a joint statement by the High Representative of the EU and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe reads.
The statement was issued to mark the European and World Day against the Death Penalty.
It says the EU and the Council of Europe welcome the growing worldwide support for the abolition of the death penalty, noting that more than two-thirds of all countries have abolished the penalty in law or in practice.
“Last year, the number of countries that carried out executions reached the lowest figure on record,” discloses the statement.
It lists the five countries with the highest number of executions in 2023 as China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and the US.
The statement calls on the states still carrying 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 statement asserts.
The Council of Europe and the EU say they are determined to support all efforts to improve transparency around the use of the death penalty and to strengthen engagement with young people and civil society.