EUROPEAN UNION

government: a hybrid and unique intergovernmental and supranational organization

state of civil and political rights:

constitution: none the EU legal order relies primarily on two consolidated texts encompassing all provisions as amended from a series of past treaties: the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU)

legal system: unique supranational system of laws in which, according to an interpretive declaration of member-state governments appended to the Treaty of Lisbon, "the Treaties and the law adopted by the Union on the basis of the Treaties have primacy over the law of Member States" under conditions laid down in the case law of the Court of Justice

legislative system: two legislative bodies consisting of the Council of the European Union (27 seats; ministers representing the 27 member states) and the European Parliament (705 seats; seats allocated among member states roughly in proportion to population size; members elected by proportional representation to serve 5-year terms)

judicial system: Court of Justice of the European Union, which includes the Court of Justice (informally known as the European Court of Justice or ECJ) and the General Court (consists of 27 judges, one drawn from each member state); the ECJ includes 11 Advocates General while the General Court can include additional judges; both the ECJ and the General Court may sit in a "Grand Chamber" of 15 judges in special cases but usually in chambers of 3 to 5 judges

religion: Roman Catholic 41%, Orthodox 10%, Protestant 9%, other Christian 4%, Muslim 2%, other 4% (includes Jewish, Sikh, Buddhist, Hindu), atheist 10%, non-believer/agnostic 17%, unspecified 3% (2019 est.)

death row:

year of last executions: 0-0-0

death sentences: 0

executions: 0

international treaties on human rights and the death penalty:

situation:

news

NEWS

EUROPEAN UNION - Statement on the latest executions in US

06 March 2024 Read everything

IRAN - European Parliament Condemns Escalating Executions in Iran

11 February 2024

Calls for International Sanctions and IRGC Designation

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06 March 2024 :

March 1, 2024 - EUROPEAN UNION. Statement on the latest executions in US
by the Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Peter Stano
The European Union deeply regrets the execution of Ivan Cantu in the State of Texas on Wednesday. For over 20 years, Mr Cantu has consistently claimed his conviction was based on false testimony and questionable evidence, but was denied a new evidentiary hearing.
We also take note of the fact that the State of Idaho resumed its use of capital punishment also on Wednesday after a 12-year break. The execution of Thomas Creech was called off after officials unsuccessfully tried to insert an IV line to administer the lethal injection. The EU recalls that lethal injection, like all execution methods, is a cruel, inhuman, and degrading punishment.
The EU strongly opposes the death penalty at all times and in all circumstances. It is a violation of the right to life and fails to act as a deterrent to crime. It represents the ultimate punishment that makes miscarriages of justice irreversible. 196 innocent people have been exonerated from death row in the United States to date.
The EU continues to call for the universal abolition of the death penalty. In this context, the EU welcomes the fact that 29 US states have either abolished capital punishment or imposed a moratorium on executions. However, we are concerned by the fact that the number of executions in the US increased last year, as 24 people were executed in five states despite a steady, overall decline of the use of capital punishment in the US since 2020.
The EU calls for states that maintain the death penalty to implement a moratorium and move towards abolition, in line with the worldwide trend.

https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/us-statement-spokesperson-latest-executions_en

(Source: eeas.europa.eu, 01/03/2024)

11 February 2024 :

February 8, 2024 - IRAN. European Parliament Condemns Escalating Executions in Iran
Calls for International Sanctions and IRGC Designation
The European Parliament convened in Strasbourg on February 7 and 8, passing a joint resolution condemning the escalating executions in Iran, particularly the execution of political prisoner Mohammad Ghobadlou on January 23.
The resolution, supported by various groups within the European Parliament, called for international investigations into serious human rights violations committed by Iranian authorities and the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.
Highlighting the alarming rate of executions, with 800 reported in 2023 and 54 in January 2024 alone, the resolution strongly criticized the unfair trials leading to the condemnation of individuals, including Ghobadlou.
Furthermore, the European Parliament demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all death row inmates and prisoners of conscience, notably European citizens Ahmadreza Djalali and Johan Floderus. It urged for a bold and new strategy from the European Union towards the Iranian regime, emphasizing measures to counter its hostage diplomacy.
The resolution urged the European Council to push for the IRGC’s designation as a terrorist entity and to impose further sanctions against individuals and entities involved in severe human rights abuses, including the Supreme Leader, President, and Attorney General of the regime. Member states were urged to monitor trials according to EU guidelines on human rights defenders and to organize visits to prisons holding political prisoners, including EU nationals.
Additionally, member states were called upon to initiate criminal investigations into individuals responsible for serious human rights violations, including those covered by international jurisdiction. The resolution also supported the renewal of the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran and the establishment of an independent international fact-finding mission at the upcoming session of the UN Human Rights Council.

https://www.ncr-iran.org/en/news/human-rights/european-parliament-condemns-escalating-executions-in-iran-calls-for-international-sanctions-and-irgc-designation/

(Source: ncr-iran.org)

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