Capital punishment in Europe 5167123 221040164 2008-06-22T20:06:09Z U5K0 5281706 [[WP:UNDO|Undid]] revision 221025616 by [[Special:Contributions/79.136.3.238|79.136.3.238]] ([[User talk:79.136.3.238|talk]]) [[Image:Death Penalty World Map.png|thumb|right|400px|Europe holds the greatest concentration of abolitionist states]] The [[capital punishment|death penalty]] has been totally abolished in almost all European countries (47 out of 50). 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]]. Only in [[Belarus]] and [[Kazakhstan]] (a small part of Kazakhstan is in Europe) is it still practiced - this being one reason for which they have been refused membership into the Council of Europe. ==Abolition== {{capital punishment}} [[Image:04CFREU-Article2-Crop.jpg|thumb|left|350px|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]]). [[France]] was the latest country (October 10, 2007) to ratify protocol 13 in abolishing the penalty for all crimes. Azerbaijan and Russia have not signed protocol 13, while Armenia, Italy, Latvia, Poland, and Spain have not yet ratified.[http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/Commun/ChercheSig.asp?NT=187&CM=8&DF=11/20/2007&CL=ENG] All but Russia and Latvia have, however, abolished the death penalty. ===European Union=== The European Union has long since been against the death penalty and its [[Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union|Charter of Fundamental Rights]] included a ban on the death penalty. The Charter was included in the now stalled [[Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe|European Constitution]] so that it would be legally binding for the Union. This would have been alongside the Union, as a single entity, joining of the Council of Europe and the European Convention on Human Rights. The EU has been an active promoter of abolition worldwide. '''Capital punishment in EU member states''' {| class="wikitable" |- bgcolor="#ececec" | valign=top | *[[Image:Flag of Austria.svg|20px]] [[Capital punishment in Austria|Austria]] *[[Image:Flag of Belgium.svg|20px]] [[Capital punishment in Belgium|Belgium]] *[[Image:Flag of Bulgaria.svg|20px]] [[Capital punishment in Bulgaria|Bulgaria]] *[[Image:Flag of Cyprus.svg|20px]] [[Capital punishment in Cyprus|Cyprus]] *[[Image:Flag of the Czech Republic.svg|20px]] [[Capital punishment in the Czech Republic|Czech Rep.]] *[[Image:Flag of Denmark.svg|20px]] [[Capital punishment in Denmark|Denmark]] *[[Image:Flag of Estonia.svg|20px]] [[Capital punishment in Estonia|Estonia]] *[[Image:Flag of Finland.svg|20px]] [[Capital punishment in Finland|Finland]] *[[Image:Flag of France.svg|20px]] [[Capital punishment in France|France]] *[[Image:Flag of Germany.svg|20px]] [[Capital punishment in Germany|Germany]] *[[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Capital punishment in Greece|Greece]] | valign=top | *[[Image:Flag of Hungary.svg|20px]] [[Capital punishment in Hungary|Hungary]] *[[Image:Flag of Ireland.svg|20px]] [[Capital punishment in Ireland|Ireland]] *[[Image:Flag of Italy.svg|20px]] [[Capital punishment in Italy|Italy]] *[[Image:Flag of Latvia.svg|20px]] [[Capital punishment in Latvia|Latvia]] *[[Image:Flag of Malta.svg|20px]] [[Capital punishment in Malta|Malta]] *[[Image:Flag of the Netherlands.svg|20px]] [[Capital punishment in the Netherlands|Netherlands]] *[[Image:Flag of Poland.svg|20px]] [[Capital punishment in Poland|Poland]] *[[Image:Flag of Romania.svg|20px]] [[Capital punishment in Romania|Romania]] *[[Image:Flag of Slovenia.svg|20px]] [[Capital punishment in Slovenia|Slovenia]] *[[Image:Flag of Sweden.svg|20px]] [[Capital punishment in Sweden|Sweden]] *[[Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg|20px]] [[Capital punishment in the United Kingdom|United Kingdom]] |} '''Methods of execution and dates of last actual peacetime use''' {| class="wikitable" |- ! Country ! Method ! Year of use ! Abolished |- | align=left | {{flag|Finland}} || [[Beheading]] || '''1825''' || 1972 |- | align=left | {{flag|Belgium}} || [[Guillotine]] || '''1863''' || 1996 |- | align=left | {{flag|Denmark}} || [[Beheading]] || '''1892''' || 1978 |- | align=left | {{flag|Sweden}} || [[Guillotine]] || '''1910''' || 1975 |- | align=left | {{flag|Malta}} || [[Hanging]] || '''1943''' || 2000 |- | align=left | {{flag|Italy}} || [[Firing Squad]] || '''1947''' || 1994 |- | align=left | {{flag|Germany}} || [[Guillotine]] || '''1949''' || 1987 |- | align=left | {{flag|Austria}} || [[Hanging]] || '''1950''' || 1968 |- | align=left | {{flag|Netherlands}} || [[Firing Squad]] || '''1952''' || 1982 |- | align=left | {{flag|Ireland}} || [[Hanging]] || '''1954''' || 1990 |- | align=left | {{flag|Slovenia}} || [[Hanging]] || '''1957''' || 1989 |- | align=left | {{flag|Cyprus}} || [[Hanging]] || '''1962''' || 2002 |- | align=left | {{flag|United Kingdom}} || [[Hanging]] || '''1964''' || 1998 |- | align=left | {{flag|Greece}} || [[Firing Squad]] || '''1972''' || 2004 |- | align=left | {{flag|Spain}} || [[Hanging]] || '''1975''' || 1995 |- | align=left | {{flag|France}} || [[Guillotine]] || '''1977''' || 1981 |- | align=left | {{flag|Hungary}} || [[Hanging]] || '''1988''' || 1990 |- | align=left | {{flag|Poland}} || [[Hanging]] || '''1988''' || 1997 |- | align=left | {{flag|Bulgaria}} || [[Firing Squad]] || '''1989''' || 1998 |- | align=left | {{flag|Czech Republic}} || [[Hanging]] || '''1989''' || 1990 |- | align=left | {{flag|Romania}} || [[Shooting]] || '''1989''' || 1990 |- | align=left | {{flag|Estonia}} || [[Shooting]] || '''1991''' || 1998 |- | align=left | {{flag|Latvia}} || [[Shooting]] || '''1996''' || Not abolished |} ==Retentionist states== [[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 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== * [[Use of capital punishment by nation#Europe|Country-specific details on executions in European nations]] * [[Capital punishment#Abolitionism in different countries|Abolitionism]] * [[European Court of Human Rights]] ==External links== * [http://web.amnesty.org/pages/deathpenalty-countries-eng Amnesty International - Abolitionist and Retentionist Countries] * [http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engACT500072006 Amnesty International - Last Executions] * [http://web.amnesty.org/pages/deathpenalty-treaties-eng Amnesty International - Ratification of International Treaties] {{Capital punishment in Europe}} [[Category:Capital punishment]] [[Category:European politics]] [[Category:Law enforcement in Europe]] [[Category:Human rights]] [[pl:Kara śmierci w Europie]]