''The European Day against the Death Penalty is an opportunity to support the movement for a worldwide moratorium on executions,'' Terry Davis, Council of Europe Secretary General, declared on 10 October. He also welcomed the European Union’s decision to join the initiative. ''To die by order of the state, decreed by a judge or a politician as punishment for a crime, is thankfully a thing of the past in Europe,'' said Parliamentary Assembly President Lluís Maria de Puig. The event was marked at the Council of Europe by a panel discussion, featuring French former Minister of Justice and anti-death penalty pioneer Senator Robert Badinter, Secretary General Terry Davis and Swedish Human Rights Ambassador Jan Nordlander and Council of Europe Goodwill Ambassador Bianca Jagger. Sponsored by both the Swedish Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers and the French Presidency of the European Union, the panel listened to an audio message from U.S. death row inmate Troy Davis as delivered to Amnesty International.
