Article

Europe as an International Actor: Friends Do Not Let Friends Execute: The Council of Europe and the International Campaign to Abolish the Death Penalty

By Sangmin Bae / International Politics, on 1 January 2008



This article investigates the way in which the Council of Europe enforced the norm against capital punishment in Europe. The Council of Europe, through both moral persuasion and centripetal pressure, compelled its member states to adopt the regionally promoted human rights standard. Ukraine, where the very last execution in Europe took place, accepted the norm after a number of years of resistance and in the face of public opposition to abolition. It was possible because of the adamant role of the Council of Europe in attempting to build a death penalty-free zone in Europe and Ukraine’s strategic will to be integrated within the European regional community.

  • Document type Article
  • Countries list Ukraine
  • Themes list Trend Towards Abolition,



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