European Commission proposes death penalty day

The European Commission has tabled a proposal to establish October 10 as the European Day against the death penalty.

The proposal, in the form of a Joint Declaration of the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers, is expected to be adopted in the coming weeks together with the Council of Europe.

There has been no instance since 1997 of capital punishment in any part of the geographical area made up by the 47 member countries of the Council of Europe, including the EU member states.

Malta abolished the death penalty in 1971.

Abolition of the death sentence is assumed as a natural condition for membership in either of the two European organisations.

The Commission said yesterday that over half the countries in the world have abolished the penalty in law or practice.

Eighty-nine countries and territories have done away with it for all crimes while another 10 have struck it off for all but exceptional crimes such as those committed during wartime.

Thirty countries can be considered abolitionist in practice. They retain the death penalty at law but have not carried out any executions for the past 10 years or more and are believed to have a policy or established practice of not carrying out executions.

This makes 129 countries that have abolished executions by the state in law or practice.

However, figures from around the world are worrying. Last year, at least 1,591 people were executed in 25 countries and at least 3,861 people were sentenced to death in 55 countries.

Commenting on this proposal, European Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini said the death sentence is a violation of the most fundamental of human rights, namely the right to life.

"Nothing justifies the death penalty, whether it is considered effective in combating crime or not. Such practice is ethically unacceptable, cruel, legally wrong and can all too often lead to innocent people being killed where no redress is possible."