A strong appeal for the abolition of capital punishment was issued by EP President Jerzy Buzek as he opened this week's plenary session in Strasbourg with a reference to European Day against the Death Penalty.

Jerzy Buzek opened the plenary session of the MEPs with a special mention to the global situation of the death penalty worldwide. The U.S. case is the most notorious case, but in the world there are still 90 countries that still apply the death penalty. Some of them such as China, Egypt, India and Cuba, keep it for common crimes. Homosexuality can be punished with dead penalty in Saudi Arabia.

Jerzy Buzek opened the International Day for the Abolition of the Death Penalty - 10th October - has also since 2007 been European Day against the Death Penalty, pointed out President Buzek.  He regretted that the death penalty continued to be used in one European country, Belarus, and also highlighted its use in China, Iran and the United States. "I would like to reiterate our appeal to every country still applying the death penalty to abolish it or establish, pending its abolition, a moratorium on executions and death sentences", he said.

On other topics, the President mentioned the signing of the Lisbon Treaty by Polish President Kaczynski and said "I am convinced that we will find a solution with the Czech Republic in the near future". Czech Republic is the only EU country that has not signed the Lisbon Treaty, after the referendum in Ireland and the polish approval.