Capital punishment (trest smrti in Czech) is forbidden by the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms of the Czech Republic (part of the constitutional law of the Czech Republic) and is simultaneously prohibited by international legal obligations arising from the Czech Republic's membership in both the Council of Europe and the European Union. Historically capital punishment was legal, and was used, when the Czech Republic was part of Czechoslovakia, until the punishment was abolished by amendment of the federal criminal code in 1990. The last execution was carried out in 1989. History and methods of capital punishment Capital punishment was common under the Austrian Monarchy (with a short exception from 1787 to 1795 under the rule of Joseph II), in Austria-Hungary, and from 1918 in the newly created Czechoslovakia. During the period from 1918 to 1989, a total of 1,217 people were executed legally, the majority of them (61%) immediately after World War II, many others (21%) were executed for political reasons during the early years of communist rule and the rest of the executed people were convicted criminals (18%). The common method of execution during the entire period was pole hanging. Other methods of hanging or firing squad were rare. Following the abolition of open-air execution areas in 1954, an execution cell was built in the basement of Pankrác Prison, where executions were carried out until 1989. The device in Pankrác's "death chamber" was a simple noose attached to the wall with a remotely operated trapdoor in the floor. First Czechoslovak Republic (1918–1938) During the presidency of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk (1918–35) 16 people were executed, including 4 for military treason. Masaryk was an opponent of capital punishment and had the privilege of commuting death sentences, one he exercised frequently. His successor Edvard Beneš signed the death sentences for 8 people, including 3 for military treason. After his resignation 2 more criminals were executed before the occupation of the country. German occupation (1939–1945) During the time of the German occupation thousands were executed and hundreds of thousands were killed without any trial. Although summary executions happened rarely (in comparison to other countries occupied by the Germans), such occasions happened nearly every year (see massacres during World War II). In Prague Pankrác Prison 1,079 were guillotined or hanged, about 550 were shot in Kobylisy Shooting Range, about 800 were shot or hanged in Brno, about 300 were shot or hanged in