Capital punishment in Latvia

Latvia is theoretically the only country of the European Union that still retains capital punishment for murder, however only during wartime, so this is viewed as a "dead law".Fact|date=April 2008

Latvia regained independence in 1991 after fall of the Soviet Union. Subsequently the death penalty in civilian cases was reserved for murder and the only method of executions, as during Soviet times, was shooting with a single bullet to the back of the head.

In September 1996, President Guntis Ulmanis claimed that he would commute any death penalty to imprisonment.

Latvia continued to hand down death sentences until 1998. On April 15, 1999 the death penalty in time of peace was abolished by ratifying Protocol No. 6 to the European Convention on Human Rights. In 2002 Latvia signed Protocol No. 13 to ECHR, concerning the abolition of the death penalty under all circumstances; however, as of January 2008 it has not yet been ratified.

References

* [http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/ccpr-death.htm Second Optional Protocol] to ICCPR; [http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/Commun/QueVoulezVous.asp?NT=114&CM=8&DF=1/28/2008&CL=ENG Protocol No. 6] and [http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/Commun/QueVoulezVous.asp?NT=187&CM=8&DF=1/28/2008&CL=ENG Protocol No. 13] to ECHR - text of the treaties, dates of signature and ratification
* [http://www.amnesty.org/en/death-penalty/abolitionist-and-retentionist-countries Abolitionist and retentionist countries] - report by Amnesty International