The EU Delegation and Office of the EU Special Representative to Bosnia Herzegovina (BiH) issue the following statement in agreement with the EU Heads of Missions in BiH:

Today, people around the world are marking the European/World Day against the Death Penalty. The European Union Heads of Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina would like to emphasise that the European Union is opposed to the use of capital punishment in all cases and under all circumstances, and have consistently called for its universal abolition.

The EU believes that the death penalty is cruel and inhumane and that its abolition is essential in protecting human dignity. The abolition of the death penalty worldwide represents one of the main objectives of the EU’s human rights policy. This commitment is outlined clearly in the EU Guidelines on the death penalty, as adopted by the Council in 1998, and recently revised in 2013.

The EU will continue to use all its available diplomatic and co-operation assistance tools to work towards the abolition of the death penalty. The EU also remains a significant actor and donor in supporting efforts made by civil society organizations around the world in the campaign for abolition.

The abolition of death penalty is a pre-condition for entry into the EU. Therefore, the EU Heads of Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina strongly urge the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in particular in Republika Srpska, where the Constitution still prescribes the death penalty for the most heinous crimes, to ensure the full abolition of capital punishment.

To leran more about the EU’s stance on the death penalty visit web pages of European Union External Action and European Commission