European Convention on Human Rights

ECHR - Protocol 13: Complete abolition of death penalty

Protocol 13 – complete abolition of death penalty

Protocol 13 provides for the total abolition of the death penalty. Currently all Council of Europe member states but three have ratified Protocol 13. Armenia has signed but not ratified the protocol. Russia and Azerbaijan have not signed it.

Procedural and institutional protocols

The Convention's provisions affecting institutional and procedural matters have been altered several times by means of protocols. These amendments have, with the exception of Protocol 2, amended the text of the convention. Protocol 2 did not amend the text of the convention as such but stipulated that it was to be treated as an integral part of the text. All of these protocols have required the unanimous ratification of all the member states of the Council of Europe to enter into force.