EU, CoE “reaffirm strong opposition” to death penalty after new sentences delivered in Belarus

The European Union reaffirms its strong opposition against the application of capital punishment in any circumstance, the EU External Action Service said in a statement following the two death sentences handed down in Belarus on January 10.

“These two further death sentences come on top of the three death sentences passed in 2019. Three death sentences were carried out last year and a total of four individuals are now on "death row". The death penalty violates the inalienable right to life enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. Capital punishment also fails to act as a deterrent to crime. Miscarriages of justice are irreversible,” the EU said.

“Death is no justice, and capital punishment does not deter crime,” Daniel Holtgen, Council of Europe Spokesperson, twitted.

Both the EU and the Council of Europe continue to call on Belarus to impose a moratorium on executions.

“Introducing a moratorium on executions in Belarus would be a positive first step towards the abolition of the death penalty,” the EU said.