News on the topic: death penalty
10.05.2017 OSCE Denounces Execution In Belarus
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has denounced the recent execution of a man in Belarus, the only country in Europe which still applies the death penalty.
10.05.2017 EU 'reaffirms its strong opposition to capital punishment' after new execution in Belarus
Another execution has taken place in Belarus: that of Siarhei Vostrykau. The European Union again reaffirms its strong opposition to capital punishment in all circumstances.
05.05.2017 Death convict Siarhei Vostrykau executed
Death convict Siarhei Vostrykau has been executed, Human Rights Defenders Against the Death Penalty in Belarus said quoting the convict’s mother who reportedly received a notification from the Homieĺ Regional Court.
11.04.2017 At least 1,032 people executed in 23 countries in 2016, Amnesty International Annual Report says
At least 1,032 people were executed in 23 countries in 2016. In 2015 Amnesty International recorded 1,634 executions in 25 countries worldwide - a historical spike unmatched since 1989.
28.03.2017 EU Statement on a death sentence in Belarus
The Delegation of the European Union to Belarus has issued the following statement in agreement with the EU Heads of Mission in Belarus.
22.03.2017 Belarus: First death sentence in 2017
Paris-Minsk. FIDH and its member organisation in Belarus Human Rights Centre "Viasna" denounce the first death sentence in 2017 and regret the Belarusian authorities continue to ignore calls to render Europe a death penalty-free zone.
20.03.2017 Man sentenced to death in Naroŭlia
The Homieĺ Regional Court pronounced today, March 17, a death sentence in the case of Aliaksei Mikhalenia, a 32-year-old resident of Naroŭlia. This is the first death sentence handed down in 2017.
03.03.2017 Mental anguish ‘adds weight’ to argument for ending capital punishment – UN rights chief
The United Nations human rights chief today reiterated his call to abolish the death penalty as it raises serious issues in relation to the dignity and rights of all human beings, including the right to life and the right not to be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
20.02.2017 Libereco: no improvement in human rights situation one year after sanctions were lifted
One year ago, on 15 February 2016, the EU Foreign Affairs Council decided to lift most of the sanctions against Belarus. This decision was preceded by a reduction in visible repression in Belarus since the summer of 2015, through the release of political prisoners and relatively peaceful presidential elections.
17.02.2017 Meanwhile in Belarus… To put an end to death penalty in Europe
In 2017, Belarus is still the only country in Europe to apply death penalty. Aiming to denounce and bring this grim reality to public attention, FIDH publishes in social networks a video "Meanwhile in Belarus".
09.02.2017 Report on the death penalty in Belarus presented at Council of Europe
A delegation of human rights defenders representing the Human Rights Center "Viasna" and FIDH visited yesterday the Council of Europe to discuss the question of the death penalty and the overall situation of human rights in Belarus.
08.02.2017 Human rights defenders: It is vital that Belarus remains on EU agenda
On February 7, a number of locations in Brussels hosted meetings of EU officials with the human rights defenders of Viasna, representatives of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the UN Special Rapporteur on Belarus, as well as and the mother of Uladzislau Kavaliou, who was executed in 2012. The key issue for the discussion was the death penalty in Belarus.
03.02.2017 Issue of the death penalty in Belarus to be discussed in Brussels and Strasbourg
Representatives of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" and FIDH are going to discuss the issue of the death penalty in Belarus during a visit to the EU structures and the Council of Europe scheduled for the next week.
16.01.2017 Amnesty International urges Lukashenka to commute death sentence of Kiryl Kazachok
"Kiryl Kazachok was sentenced to death by the Gomel Regional Court, in southeast Belarus, on 28 December. His was the fourth death sentence to be issued in Belarus in 2016," Amnesty International said on January 13.
30.12.2016 EU calls on Belarus to join global moratorium on the death penalty
"Yet another death sentence was handed down this week in Belarus, to Mr Kiryl Kazachok. This sentence, which follows the execution of four persons earlier this year, goes against the commitments made by Belarusian authorities to consider the introduction of a moratorium on the death penalty," EU External Action Service said in a statement.