Another death verdict about to be issued in Belarus

The state prosecutor demanded capital punishment for the murderer of a Homel student.

According to BelaPAN, during the pleadings in the case of the killing of a 22-year-old 4-year student of the Faculty of Biology of the Homel State University held on 4 June 4 at the Homel Regional Court, the state prosecutor demanded capital punishment for the accused in the murder, 24-year-old man.

The tragedy occurred in the night of 19 to 20 September 2012. Around midnight, Natallia Yemialyanchykava was returning home and was attacked by a man with a knife at the entrance of returned home, near the entrance of her house. As established by the forensic examination, the victim died from massive blood loss, she had suffered 102 stab wounds to the head, chest, neck, arms and legs. There were also documented rib fractures. Actions of the accused are qualified as murder with extreme cruelty committed out of hooligan motives.

The defendant admitted guilt completely. The mother of the deceased also demanded capital punishment for him. The man had been previously been convicted for causing grievous bodily harm leading to death – he had killed his stepfather.

In May human rights organization Amnesty International issued an urgent press release calling on the Belarusian authorities to stop the execution of death sentences and impose a moratorium on the death.

The reason for the call was the information of the Mahiliou Regional Prosecutor's Office of 30 April that another death sentence was issued.

Amnesty International also expressed its deep concern about the secrecy surrounding the death penalty in Belarus. The statement said that the prisoners can be subjected to torture.

"The status of Belarus as the only country in Europe where the death penalty is enforced is shameful. The authorities should immediately repeal the death penalty and introduce an official moratorium on the death penalty, "said David Diaz-Zhoge, Deputy Director of Amnesty International's Europe and Central Asia department.

Belarus is the only country in Europe where death sentences are still issued and executed. For this the country is constantly criticized by the international organizations that are fighting for the abolition of the death penalty. In 2012, Dzmitry Konovalov and Uladzislau Kavaliou,convicted of a terrorist attack in the Minsk metro on 11 April 2011, were punished with death. According to Amnesty International, one more death sentence was executed in Belarus in 2012 apart from these two.