Capital punishment in Europe

The death penalty has been completely abolished in all European countries except for Belarus. The absolute ban on the death penalty is enshrined in both the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (EU) and 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 and Portugal were the first to abolish capital punishment, whereas only Belarus still practice capital punishment in some form or another. In 2012, Latvia became the last EU Member State to abolish capital punishment in wartime.

As of 2017, in Europe, the death penalty for peacetime crimes has been abolished in all countries except Belarus, while the death penalty for wartime crimes has been abolished in all countries except Belarus and Kazakhstan. (Kazakhstan is a country situated partly in Europe and partly in Asia).

In Russia the death penalty has been indefinitely suspended (under moratorium), therefore the country is abolitionist in practice.

Except for Belarus, which carried out an execution in 2016, the last executions by a European country occurred in Kazakhstan in 2003, and Ukraine in 1997.

The Council of Europe has two main instruments against capital punishment: Protocol no.6 and Protocol no.13.

The Protocol no.6 which prohibits the death penalty during peacetime has been ratified by all members of the Council of Europe, except Russia (which has signed, but not ratified).

Protocol no.13 prohibits the death penalty in all circumstances (including for war crimes). All member states of the Council of Europe have ratified it, except Azerbaijan and Russia, which have not signed it, and Armenia, which has signed but not yet ratified. All have, however, abolished the death penalty. In 2014, Poland was the latest country to ratify Protocol no.13.

...
Wikipedia