Assisting European Citizens Facing Execution Outside the European Union

Analiżi fil-Fond 04-11-2010

European Union has a well established policy aimed at global abolition of the death penalty. This workshop presentation discusses how EU could provide direct assistance to prisoners who are facing the death penalty, thereby raising the profile of injustice in a way that will accelerate the goal of abolition. European countries have adopted disparate approaches to helping their prisoners on death row abroad. Some provide funding for effective local lawyers; some provide legal aid for European lawyers to help on the cases; some encourage European experts to assist with the defence; some make direct representations to the prosecutors. Development of a consistent pan-European strategy on the basis of this experience and by learning from other countries' initiatives would be an important step in moving down the path to abolition.