Belgium
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1998
Data card
- Legal status
- Abolitionist
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 0
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 0
- First news item in the archive
- DECEMBER 10, 1998 · On December 10, 1998, Belgium ratified Protocol No
- News items in the archive
- 103
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
Belgium is classified as Abolitionist in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 0 executions in the country, against 0 the year before. The archive holds 103 news items on Belgium, from 1998 to today.
Latest news
- JANUARY 1, 2006BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
Belgium abolished the death penalty for all crimes in 1996.
Belgium abolished the death penalty for all crimes in 1996.
- NOVEMBER 12, 2005BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
BELGIUM. RALLY IN SUPPORT OF BULGARIAN NURSES ON LIBYA'S DEATH ROW
a rally in support of the five Bulgarian nurses and one Palestinian doctor on Libya's death row was held in Brussels.
- APRIL 20, 2005BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
Belgium was a cosponsor of the resolution on the death penalty at the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights.
Belgium was a cosponsor of the resolution on the death penalty at the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights.
- JANUARY 1, 2005BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
Belgium abolished the death penalty for all crimes in 1996.
Belgium abolished the death penalty for all crimes in 1996.
- APRIL 21, 2004BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
Belgium was a cosponsor of the resolution on the death...
Belgium was a cosponsor of the resolution on the death penalty at the 60th UN Commission on Human Rights
- APRIL 7, 2004BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
Belgium abolished the death penalty for all crimes in 1996.
Belgium abolished the death penalty for all crimes in 1996.
- DECEMBER 21, 2003BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
Cardinal Godfried Danneels said he supported capital...
Cardinal Godfried Danneels said he supported capital punishment in theory but was opposed to it in practice, Belgian television reported
- SEPTEMBER 30, 2003BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
HOC MEETS PRODI AND FRATTINI AS EUROPEAN MISSION ENDS
September 30, 2003: the European mission conducted by George Ryan together with Leroy Orange came to an end on Monday in Brussels.
- SEPTEMBER 29, 2003BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
The European mission conducted by former governor of...
The European mission conducted by former governor of Illinois and current Hands Off Cain Honorary President George Ryan, together with Leroy Orange, ex death row inmate who is alive thanks to the moratorium on executions introduced by the governor in his
- APRIL 24, 2003BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
Belgium was a cosponsor and voted in favour of the...
Belgium was a cosponsor and voted in favour of the resolution on the death penalty approved by the UN Commission on Human Rights, in Geneva
- JANUARY 1, 2003BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
Belgium has signed but not yet ratified Protocol No...
Belgium has signed but not yet ratified Protocol No 13 to the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms banning the death penalty in all circumstances
- JANUARY 1, 2003BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
The last execution was carried out in 1950
The last execution was carried out in 1950
- JANUARY 1, 2003BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
Belgium abolished the death penalty for all crimes in 1996
Belgium abolished the death penalty for all crimes in 1996
- OCTOBER 21, 2002BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
Belgium is to send the runner-up in the Miss Belgium...
Belgium is to send the runner-up in the Miss Belgium contest to the Miss World event in Nigeria after the title holder Ann Van Elsen decided to stay away from the contest to protest against the sentence of death by stoning imposed on a Nigerian woman accu
- OCTOBER 9, 2002BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
Miss Belgium burst into tears after a public clash...
Miss Belgium burst into tears after a public clash with two rival beauty queens over plans to boycott the Miss World pageant in Nigeria to protest human rights abuses
- SEPTEMBER 4, 2002BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
Turkey Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel, on a visit...
Turkey Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel, on a visit to Brussels as part of the action plan to explain Turkey's efforts to fulfil Copenhagen Criteria, asked Belgian Minister for European Affairs Annemie Neyts to extradite Fehriye Erdal, suspected of Ozdem
- SEPTEMBER 4, 2002BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
Turkey Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel, on a visit...
Turkey Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel, on a visit to Brussels as part of the action plan to explain Turkey's efforts to fulfil Copenhagen Criteria, asked Belgian Minister for European Affairs Annemie Neyts to extradite Fehriye Erdal, suspected of Ozdem
- MAY 3, 2002BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
Belgium signed Protocol 13 to the European Convention...
Belgium signed Protocol 13 to the European Convention on Human Rights, which ensures the abolition of the death penalty in all circumstances
- APRIL 25, 2002BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
Belgium was a cosponsor and voted for the resolution...
Belgium was a cosponsor and voted for the resolution 2002/77 on the death penalty at the 58th UN Commission on Human Rights
- FEBRUARY 27, 2002BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
Saudi Arabia is trying seven foreigners accused of...
Saudi Arabia is trying seven foreigners accused of bomb attacks that raised fears of anti-western terror in the kingdom, the interior minister said
- JANUARY 1, 2002BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
Belgian laws allow courts to try foreigners for war...
Belgian laws allow courts to try foreigners for war crimes committed on foreign soil
- DECEMBER 15, 2001BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
The President of the European Parliament Nicole Fontaine,...
The President of the European Parliament Nicole Fontaine, in a press conference following her address to the Heads of State and Government of the EU and the European Commission, gathered at the Laeken Summit, said that Parliament's great concern was to th
- DECEMBER 13, 2001BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
European Parliament approved a resolution on EU judicial...
European Parliament approved a resolution on EU judicial cooperation with the United States in combating terrorism (Doc
- DECEMBER 11, 2001BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
December 11, 20001: Palestinian National Authority...
December 11, 20001: Palestinian National Authority (PNA) officials criticized a European Union statement for equalizing the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories with the Palestinians' legal resistance of the occupation
- DECEMBER 10, 2001BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
The European Union foreign ministers decided to maintain...
The European Union foreign ministers decided to maintain their "common position" on Cuba which conditions cooperation with Havana on the Castro government applying reforms on human rights and moving towards political pluralism
- DECEMBER 5, 2001BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
The European Union's 15 member states were among 114...
The European Union's 15 member states were among 114 countries that agreed an unprecedented declaration reaffirming the illegality of Jewish settlements in the occupied territories and calling on Israel to respect international humanitarian law
- NOVEMBER 30, 2001BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
At the UN Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and...
At the UN Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) session the representative of Belgium, on behalf of the European Union, introduced a draft resolution on the Situation of Human Rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- NOVEMBER 14, 2001BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
At the opening session of the UN Third Committee's...
At the opening session of the UN Third Committee's general debate on human rights European Community representative Paola Amadei, said the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights had been targeted on four key themes - support to strengthen demo
- NOVEMBER 14, 2001BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
Stephane de Loecker, the Belgian representative at...
Stephane de Loecker, the Belgian representative at the UN Third Committee debate on human rights, speaking on behalf of the European Union said the abolition of the death penalty would help further respect human rights
- NOVEMBER 14, 2001BelgiumDEATH PENALTY
True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller criticized...
True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller criticized the [EU] demands for Turkey to abolish capital punishment for everybody, without any exceptions, including terrorists, in a period when it is accepted that all terrorists, including Usamah Bin-Ladin, sh