2006: 9 Citizens of Belarus Sentenced to Capital Punishment

Source: www.charter97.org

In 2006 death sentences were passed upon 9 persons, told the chairman of the Supreme Court Valiantsin Sukala at a press-conference in Minsk. Besides, last year 7 people were given life sentence, Interfax informs.

The chairman of the Supreme Court has explained the growth of the number of death sentences and life sentences by a fact that several large and complicated criminal cases concerning criminal groups and organizations with 48 accused persons were tried in 2006. Marozau’s gang case has been called by V.Sukala the most complicated and unique. ‘This case was unparalleled in terms of its volume and number of persons interrogated and has become a challenge for Belarusian judicial system’, the chairman of the Supreme Court said, adding that courts have passed the trial.

V.Sukala also added that Marozau’s gang had been accused of 16 murders.