Capital punishment in Europe

Europe holds the greatest concentration of abolitionist states

The death penalty has been totally abolished in almost all European countries (46 out of 50^[1]). A moratorium on the death penalty is a condition of membership in the Council of Europe and abolition is considered a central value to the European Union. Of all European countries, San Marino and Portugal were the first to abolish and only Belarus still practices capital punishment. Russia maintains the death penalty in law, but currently practices a de facto moratorium, the last execution officially taking place in 1996. Latvia has abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes but retains it for crimes during wartime.

Abolition

Article 2 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union affirms the right to life.

Abolition has been common in European history, but has only been a real trend since the end of the Second World War when human rights became a particular priority. The European Convention on Human Rights was adopted in 1950 but some countries took many years to ratify it. The United Kingdom retained the death penalty for high treason until 1998 (William Joyce was the last person to be put to death for high treason in the UK, on 3 January 1946).

Italy was the latest country (March 3, 2009) to ratify protocol 13 in abolishing the penalty for all crimes.^[2] Azerbaijan and Russia have not signed protocol 13, while Armenia, Latvia, Poland, and Spain have not yet ratified.^[3] All but Russia and Latvia have, however, abolished the death penalty.

European Union

The European Union (EU) has long since been against the death penalty, supporting the European Convention, and its 2000 Charter of Fundamental Rights included a ban on the death penalty. The Charter will be made legally binding if the Treaty of Lisbon is fully ratified. The treaty also has a provision for the EU to join the Council of Europe and accede to the European Convention on Human Rights. The EU has been an active promoter of abolition worldwide and has been promoting a UN convention against it, however some national governments such as Poland have opposed such moves.

Capital punishment in EU member states

Methods of execution and dates of last actual peacetime use

Note: The table can be sorted alphabetically or chronologically using the icon.

Country	Method	Year of use	Abolished
Finland	Beheading	1825	1949
Portugal	Hanging	1846	1867
Belgium	Guillotine	1863	1996
Netherlands	Hanging	1870	1870
Denmark	Beheading	1892	1930
Sweden	Guillotine	1910	1921
Malta	Hanging	1943	1971
Italy	Firing Squad	1947	1948
Germany	Guillotine	1949	1949 (1987 in GDR)
Austria	Hanging	1950	1950
Ireland	Hanging	1954	1990
Slovenia	Hanging	1957	1989
Cyprus	Hanging	1962	1983
United Kingdom	Hanging	1964	1965
Greece	Firing Squad	1972	1993
Spain	Firing Squad	1975	1978
France	Guillotine	1977	1981
Hungary	Hanging	1988	1990
Poland	Hanging	1988	1997
Bulgaria	Shooting	1989	1998
Czech Republic	Hanging	1989	1990
Romania	Firing Squad	1989	1990
Estonia	Shooting	1991	1998
Lithuania	Shooting	1995	1996
Latvia	Shooting	1996	1999

Retentionist states

Belarus is the last European country that still uses the death penalty. Russia maintains it for ordinary crimes, but observes a moratorium in practice. Their last execution was in 1996. Russia has signed but not ratified Protocol No. 6 to the European Convention on Human Rights (abolition in peace time). Latvia maintains it for crimes committed in war time but is a member of the European Union. It has also signed, but not yet ratified, Protocol No. 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights (total abolition). In addition the two unrecognised states of Transnistria and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus have not abolished the death penalty and are blocked from the Council of Europe. However neither have executed anyone to date.

• Capital punishment in Russia
• Capital punishment in Belarus

See also

• Country-specific details on executions in European nations
• Capital punishment abolitionism
• European Court of Human Rights

References

1. ^ Figure does not include Kosovo, which is not recognised by all UN members, and other partly or unrecognised states.
2. ^ Italy's ratification
3. ^ Protocol 13

External links

• Amnesty International - Abolitionist and Retentionist Countries
• Amnesty International - Ratification of International Treaties

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