Contents
I. Introduction
5
1. Overview
5
2. Introductory Essay of the United Nations Special Rapporteur
on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment, Juan E. Méndez
7
II. The Status of the Death Penalty in the OSCE Area
15
1. The Death Penalty and the absolute prohibition of torture and other
cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
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1.1 OSCE commitments and the international legal framework
15
1.2 Surrounding circumstances of the death penalty that may constitute
torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment 19
1.3 Evolving standard: the death penalty as a violation per se of the the
absolute prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment
27
2. Other aspects of the situation of the death penalty in the
OSCE region
33
2.1 Abolitionist participating States
34
2.1 De-Facto abolitionist participating States
37
2.2 Retentionist participating States
39
III.Annexes 48
4