THE STATUS OF THE DEATH PENALTY IN THE OSCE AREA
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THE STATUS OF THE DEATH PENALTY
IN THE OSCE AREA
For the purpose of this paper, each participating State has been classified as abolitionist, partly abolitionist, de facto abolitionist, or retentionist according to the status of
the death penalty in the relevant state’s law and practice.
Abolitionist: The death penalty has been abolished for all crimes.
The majority of OSCE participating States are abolitionist: Andorra, Armenia,
Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia,
Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany,
the Holy See, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg,
Malta, Moldova, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San
Marino, Serbia and Montenegro, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, Turkmenistan,
Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.
Partly abolitionist: The death penalty has been abolished for crimes committed in peacetime but is retained for crimes committed in wartime.
Three participating States are partly abolitionist:
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Albania
Greece
Latvia
De facto abolitionist: The death penalty is retained for crimes committed in
peacetime, but executions are not carried out.
Four participating States are de facto abolitionist:
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Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
The Russian Federation
Tajikistan
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