Human rights activists announce a Week Against the Death Penalty in Belarus

Various human rights activities will be held from 5 to 10 October under the slogan "The death penalty is murder". The events will be attended by honorary foreign visitors, ambassadors, famous creative people, relatives of executed convicts shot and sentenced to death, advocates and activists of the abolitionist movement in Belarus.

The Human Rights Center "Viasna" invites everyone to join the activities of the Week, whose conduct withing the framework of the campaign "Human rights defenders against the death penalty in Belarus", has already turned into a tradition and attracts the attention of death penalty opponents from other countries.

This year, the initiative of Belarusian human rights activists will be supported by the guests of honor - a tireless fighter for human rights, Karel Schwarzenberg, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, a former foreign minister and head of the office of President Vaclav Havel, and a prominent human rights activist Tamara Chikunova, founder of the Uzbek organization "Mothers against the Death penalty and Torture, who has won several reputable awards for her activities aimed at abolition of the death penalty.

During these five days in Minsk there will be held all sorts of activities, including an exhibition
of topical posters by Vilnius artist Aleh Ablazhei and posters of the world-renowned project Death Is Not Justice; presentation of a project of the photojournalist Siarhei Balai, devoted to the families of the executed convicts; public lectures by Karel Schwarzenberg and Tamara Chikunova. On October 10, the World Day Against the Death Penalty, the Week will be concluded by a press conference of the campaign "Human rights defenders against the death penalty in Belarus". During the Week, Belarusian human rights activists will also hold viewings of topical films and discussions in different cities.

The events related to the Week against the death penalty will be announced in more detail.

We propose anyone who wishes to join the Week or to arrange their own activities in this regard to use the posters designed for the current theme of the Week. You can download them for printing in the annex to this press-release.

Bear in mind that the first week against the death penalty in Belarus was held by the Human Rights Center "Viasna" in 2013 in the framework of the campaign "Human rights defenders against the death penalty in Belarus," which was launched in 2009 in order to stop this kind of inhuman penalty and accede our country to European values. Unfortunately, Belarus remains the only country in Europe and the former Soviet Union, where death verdicts are issued and implemented.