On the occasion of the European and World Day against the Death Penalty, EU Ambassador to BiH Lars-Gunnar Wigemark, and the Head of the Council of Europe Office in Sarajevo Ambassador Drahoslav Štefánek, expressed an unequivocal opposition to the use of capital punishment in all cases and under all circumstances.

Ambassador Wigemark and Ambassador Štefánek also underlined that Bosnia and Herzegovina, as a full-fledged member of the Council of Europe and potential candidate for EU membership, should fully abide by the abolition of the death penalty as a core European human rights value. In this regard, they recalled the obligation of the authorities in Republika Srpska to formally repeal Article 11 of the Constitution of Republika Srpska in order to ensure complete abolition of the death penalty as a symbol of strong commitment to common European values.

On Monday, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, and the COE Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland, issued a joint statement welcoming the global trend towards the abolition of capital punishment. They also committed to continue employing all available means to combat torture and other grave human rights abuses in relation to the imposition and application of the death penalty.