During the General Assembly of the Council of Europe Conference of International NGOs, a resolution concerning the recent death penalty rulings issued against Palestinian detainees was put to vote. The motion, which condemned these death sentences and called for their immediate suspension, was adopted by the Assembly.
Representing the World Union of Ahıska Turks (DATÜB), European Representative BüÅŸra Meryem ÖzkoÅŸar supported the resolution by voting in favor of the condemnation and the call to halt the executions. This vote clearly reflects DATÜB’s principled stance on human rights, the right to life, and the rule of law at an international level.
Following the adoption of the resolution, Conference President Gerhard Ermischer was granted full authority to pursue the matter with relevant institutions and to carry out the necessary diplomatic engagements.
This decision, adopted at the Council of Europe Conference of INGOs, marks another significant step in ongoing global efforts to oppose the death penalty.
Text of the Adopted Resolution
Statement on the new death penalty law adopted by the Knesset on 30 March 2026
(Presented to the General Assembly, 14–17 April 2026)
The Council of Europe Conference of International NGOs expresses deep concern regarding Israel’s newly adopted legislation expanding the application of the death penalty. The law is condemned for being discriminatory, particularly as it disproportionately targets Palestinians, and for its implementation through military courts that do not meet the standards of independent civilian judiciary systems.
Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset reiterated that the Council is opposed to the death penalty “everywhere and under all circumstances,” urging Israel to withdraw the legislation. The Committee of Ministers has consistently reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining a death-penalty-free area in Europe and beyond.
The Conference emphasizes that capital punishment is incompatible with human dignity and constitutes a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. Its irreversible nature makes it impossible to reconcile with the reality of judicial errors.
The Conference hopes that the Israeli Supreme Court will annul the law. It also recalls that Israel’s special relationship with the Council of Europe requires adherence to its human-rights-based norms. The law raises serious concerns, including the possibility of affecting Israel’s observer status at the Parliamentary Assembly.
Accordingly, the Conference calls on Israel to immediately repeal the law and urges all Council of Europe bodies and member states to clearly state that such a regime is incompatible with the values of the Council of Europe and its longstanding campaign against capital punishment.