On January 18, the Bureau of the Council of Europe...

On January 18, the Bureau of the Council of Europe issued a statement in Paris reminding Albania of its commitments as a Member State of the Council to abolish the death penalty. Furthermore, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Resolution no. 1187 adopted on May 7 took a position against certain members of the Albanian Government that regularly use the argument of an increase in the crime rate to justify the possibility of lifting the moratorium. "The authorities of Albania must realize that the Assembly totally rules out any possibility of releasing them from their commitment to abolish the death penalty," the Parliamentary Assembly said.