Death penalty must be abolished, says EU

The European Union (EU) has called for the abolition of capital punishment worldwide ahead of the European and World Day Against the Death Penalty.

The EU, alongside the Council of Europe, in a joint statement, reaffirmed its stance against the death penalty, describing it as a degrading and inhumane practice that denies human dignity.

Highlighting growing global support for abolition, the EU urged countries that still practice executions to impose a moratorium as the first step towards ending the death penalty once and for all.

Josep Borrell, the European Union’s high representative and Alain Berset, the secretary-general of the Council of Europe, reaffirmed their strong opposition to capital punishment.

They underscored the death penalty as an inhumane and degrading practice that constitutes a fundamental denial of human dignity.

Both leaders highlighted the global trend toward abolishing the death penalty, noting that over two-thirds of the world’s countries have either legally or practically eliminated it.

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In 2023, the number of nations carrying out executions hit a historic low.

However, Borrell and Berset expressed concern that executions continue in some countries, with China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and the United States leading in numbers.

According to reports, Iran alone was responsible for 74 percent of all recorded executions in 2023.

The statement also raised alarms about the controversial method of execution by nitrogen hypoxia used in the U.S. Belarus remains the only European nation where the death penalty is still enforced.

The joint statement called on the few remaining countries that still impose the death penalty to implement a moratorium as a step towards complete abolition.

The EU and the Council of Europe reiterated that claims of the death penalty acting as a deterrent are not supported by evidence, which shows it has little to no impact on reducing crime.

Additionally, they warned of the irreversible consequences of miscarriages of justice in capital punishment cases.

The EU and Council of Europe further committed to strengthening their cooperation to combat any resurgence in support for the death penalty, including in Europe, and to foster open dialogue toward its global abolition.