European Day against the death penalty

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe decided on 26 September 2007, to declare a ''European Day against the Death Penalty,'' which is held annually on 10 October.

The Council of Europe has been a pioneer in the abolition process which has made Europe a de facto death-penalty-free zone since 1997.

The day is a European contribution to the World Day against the Death Penalty, which is held annually on the same day.

10 October 2009: European Day against the Death Penalty Death Penalty Day 2009 sees the Council of Europe pushing its campaign for world-wide abolition into new territory with an in-depth look at "why death is not justice", and a focus on how the criminal justice system can deal with offenders. Experts from Slovenia and Sweden, respectively the countries holding the presidency of the Council of Europe and the European Union, aired their views during a talk show recorded in Strasbourg before a live audience and screened worldwide via the internet to mark the Day. The Council is also taking its argument to the global public, with a question and answer session hosted on the social networking site Twitter, highlighting the reasons for the Council’s absolute opposition to executions