Amnesty International calls to commute death sentence to Henadz Yakavitski

Gennadii Yakovitskii was sentenced to death on 5 January having been found guilty of the murder of his partner in June 2015. His was the first death sentence to be passed in 2016. Gennadii Yakovitskii was accused of killing his partner in the flat which they shared, following two days of drinking with friends. Amnesty International has recently learnt that he has denied the charges against him and his defence lawyers maintain that vital evidence was omitted from his trial and that his guilt had not been unequivocally established. Gennadii Yakovitskii and his lawyer have lodged an appeal to the Supreme Court to establish whether or not there were procedural or fair trial violations during the trial, which they maintain there were. This could lead to a retrial at which point they will present the omitted evidence. Nonetheless, Gennadii Yakovitskii’s death sentence remains in force.

Gennadii Yakovitskii has also appealed for clemency to the President. It is highly improbable that this will be granted; since coming to power in 1994, President Lukashenka has granted clemency only once. If clemency is denied, Gennadii Yakovitskii might be executed soon after, without due warning. In Belarus, death row prisoners are executed with a shot to the back of their heads. Gennadii Yakovitskii’s family will not be informed or given the opportunity for a final meeting with him. In accordance with Belarusian practice, the whereabouts of his body will not be disclosed.

Belarus is the only country in Europe and Central Asia which continues to apply the death penalty. Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception, as a violation of the right to life, as proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.

Please write immediately in Belarusian, Russian or your own language:

• Urging President Lukashenka to halt any planned executions and immediately commute the death
  sentence of Gennadii Yakovitskii and all others sentenced to death in Belarus;
• Highlighting the defence’s claims that vital evidence was omitted from Gennadii Yakovitskii’s trial in
  violation of his right to a fair trial and call for him to receive a retrial in accordance with international fair trial
  standards;
• Calling on President Lukashenka to establish an immediate moratorium on executions with a view to
  abolishing the death penalty.