European Parliament resolution on the death penalty in the world and the introduction of a European Day against the Death Penalty
Date: 2001-07-05
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: death penalty, human rights, public awareness campaign

C 65 E/364

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

14.3.2002

Thursday 5 July 2001

15. Death penalty in the world

B5-0484, 0486, 0497, 0504 and 0512/2001

European Parliament resolution on the death penalty in the world and the introduction of a Euro-
pean Day against the Death Penalty

The European Parliament,

(cid:129) having regard to its previous resolutions on the death penalty,

(cid:129) having regard to its resolution of 14 May 1998 (1) on the trade of human organs transplanted from

executed people in the People(cid:146)s Republic of China,

(cid:129) having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, signed on 10 December 1948, and the
European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, signed on
4 November 1950,

(cid:129) having regard to Article 6 of the Treaty on European Union,

(cid:129) having regard to the European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights which was proclaimed at the

Nice European Council on 7 December 2000 and, in particular, Articles 2 and 19 thereof,

(cid:129) having regard to the call by the presidents of national and international parliaments for the abolition
of the death penalty signed at the World Congress against the Death Penalty on 22 June 2001 in
Strasbourg,

(cid:129) having regard to its resolution of 5 July 2001 on Human Rights in the World (2) in 2000 and the

European Union(cid:146)s policy on human rights,

(cid:129) having regard to the previous resolutions of the UN Commission on Human Rights,

A.

reiterating that the abolition of the death penalty, which is iniquitous, degrading and contrary to the
universal principles of justice, is essential to the affirmation of human dignity and for the progressive
development of human rights, the first of which is the right to life,

B. whereas the death penalty is carried out in thirty-eight of the US States, often unfairly against the

innocent, the poor, minorities, the mentally ill, the mentally retarded and juveniles,

C.

D.

E.

F.

congratulating the Swedish Presidency on its excellent and exemplary efforts to implement the EU
guidelines on the death penalty, and underlining that this question should continue to be one of the
highest human rights priorities under the Belgian Presidency,

regretting, nevertheless, that according to Amnesty International during the year 2000 at least 1 475
prisoners were executed and 3 058 individuals were sentenced to death; stressing that 88 % of these
executions took place in only four countries: China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United States of
America; regretting also that amongst those executed there were many who had not reached the age
of majority at the time of their crime or were mentally handicapped,

stressing in this light the importance of the first World Congress Against the Death Penalty, which
took place in Strasbourg on 21, 22 and 23 June 2001,

concerned at the high number of miscarriages of justice leading to the application of the death pen-
alty, as exemplified by the case of Joaqu(cid:237)n JosØ Mart(cid:237)nez, who was recently acquitted after spending
several years awaiting execution,

Supports the (cid:145)Strasbourg Appeal(cid:146) of 22 June 2001 for the abolition of the death penalty and for a

1.
worldwide moratorium on executions to be implemented without delay;

2.
Once more strongly condemns the use of the death penalty (cid:129) which currently continues to be
applied in 87 countries (cid:129) particularly in the case of executions of minors or mentally handicapped people;

(1) OJ C 167, 1.6.1998, p. 224.
(2)
(cid:145)Texts Adopted(cid:146), Item 13.

14.3.2002

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 65 E/365

Thursday 5 July 2001

Proposes that a European Day against the Death Penalty be introduced, as the ultimate means of

3.
exerting pressure for the death penalty to be abolished in those countries where it continues to exist;

Commits the Belgian Presidency of the Council to reintroducing and this time bringing to a vote in
4.
the United Nations General Assembly of September 2001 a resolution on the abolition of the death pen-
alty and to taking all steps necessary to obtain its adoption;

5.
Regrets the resumption of executions under federal law in the United States after a de facto mora-
torium of 38 years; calls on the USA to suspend any further executions and to respect the prohibition of
the death penalty, as enumerated in several international instruments, against juvenile defendants, as well
as the mentally handicapped; calls on the USA to withdraw forthwith its reservation concerning Article 6
of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights;

6.
Calls on the Commission and the Council to make full use of the items in the 2001 budget set aside
for the promotion of democracy and human rights, treating as a matter of priority and urgency any
Community initiative aimed at achieving a moratorium on, and repeal of, the death penalty and giving
practical support to all non-governmental organisations acting to this end;

Calls on the Commission to present to Parliament regular reports on the implementation of all the

7.
resolutions so far adopted;

Calls on the Russian Federation, Turkey and Armenia to fulfil their obligations as members of the

8.
Council of Europe and to abolish the death penalty without further delay;

Is deeply concerned by the recent massive recourse to execution for common crimes and ideological
9.
and religious dissent, as a supposed instrument of social control, in thePeople(cid:146)s Republic of China, and the
inhumanity and secrecy which characterise the executions by hanging in Japan,

10.
Calls on the Commission to consider the abolition of the death penalty and a universal moratorium
on executions as an essential element in relations between the European Union and third countries, and to
take this issue into account in concluding agreements with third countries;

11.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and Commission, the Parliaments of
the Member State, the governments of the countries referred to in this resolution which apply the death
penalty, the UN Secretary-General and the Chairman of the UN Commission on Human Rights.

16. Beijing(cid:146)s application to host the 2008 Olympic Games

B5-0487, 0498, 0505 and 0524/2001

European Parliament resolution on Beijing(cid:146)s bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games

The European Parliament,

(cid:129) having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in the People(cid:146)s Republic of China (PRC),

(cid:129) having regard to the conclusions of the General Affairs Council of 19 March 2001, in which the

Council expressed its concern at the serious human rights violations in the PRC,

(cid:129) recalling the city of Beijing(cid:146)s bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games,

(cid:129) recalling that the Charter of the Olympic Games states that Olympism has as a goal (cid:145)to place sport at
the service of the harmonious development of humankind, with the objective of creating a peaceful
society with the preservation of human dignity(cid:146),