EU calls for abolition of death penalty

The European Union and the Council of Europe Wednesday called for the abolition of the death penalty in Europe and the rest of the world. "Abolition of the death penalty throughout Europe, and beyond, is an objective common to all our member states," said EU High Rreprsentative Catherine Ashton and Thorbjorn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, in a joint statement to mark World Day Against Death Penalty. They welcomed "the abolitionist trend worldwide, and note the ever decreasing number of countries applying capital punishment." "On the other hand, we are concerned about the sharp increase in executions during the past twelve months in some of those countries which still apply and implement the death penalty," said the statement. It urged Belarus, "the only European country which still executes people, to introduce a moratorium with a view to complete abolition." The European Union and the Council of Europe urged all countries which still retain the death penalty to immediately apply a moratorium on executions as a first step towards abolition. The Council of Europe based in the French city of Strasbourg, is an human rights watchdog which has 47 member states, include all 27 EU countries.