The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party, convening in Barcelona, Catalonia on 19^th and 20^th November 2009:

Notes:

-         That the Russian Federation is the only member of the Council of Europe which has not ratified so far the Sixth Protocol to the European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, prohibiting capital punishment during peacetime, despite such commitment having been undertaken by Russia upon its accession to this international organisation more than 10 years ago.

States:

-         That Russia’s failure to irrevocably prohibit capital punishment actually places Russia beyond the pan-European space of humanism and democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms, and this fact requires special attention from the European institutions, including the European Parliament, as well as from the Council of Europe and OSCE.

Calls on:

The Council of Europe to require the Russian authorities to condemn the uncivilised practice of capital punishment and to ratify the Sixth Protocol to the European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms expeditiously.