Capital punishment in Europe

Capital punishment has been completely abolished in all European countries except for Belarus and Russia, the latter of which has a moratorium and has not conducted an execution since September 1996. The complete ban on capital punishment is enshrined in both the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (EU) and two widely adopted protocols of the European Convention on Human Rights of the Council of Europe, and is thus considered a central value. Of all modern European countries, San Marino, Portugal, and the Netherlands were the first to abolish capital punishment, whereas only Belarus still practises capital punishment in some form or another. In 2012, Latvia became the last EU member state to abolish capital punishment in wartime. In Russia, capital punishment has been indefinitely suspended (under moratorium) since 1996. Except for Belarus, which, most recently, carried out one execution in 2022, the last execution occurred in Ukraine in 1997. The Council of Europe has two main instruments against capital punishment: Protocol 6 and Protocol 13. Protocol 6, opened for signing in 1983, which prohibits capital punishment during peacetime has been ratified by all members of the Council of Europe, except Russia (which has signed, but not ratified). Protocol 13, opened for signing in 2002, prohibits capital punishment in all circumstances. All member states of the Council of Europe have ratified it, except Russia (that was eventually expelled from the organization due to its 2022 invasion of Ukraine), which has not signed it, and Armenia and Azerbaijan, which have signed but not yet ratified. Armenia and Azerbaijan have abolished capital punishment. Poland is the latest country to ratify Protocol 13 in May 2014. The only country in Europe that continues to execute in the 21st century is Belarus (last execution done in 2022). No member of the Council of Europe has carried out executions in the 21st century. The last execution on the present day territory of the Council of Europe took place in 1997 in Ukraine.