News on the topic: death penalty
03.12.2013 Andrei Paluda: “I choose life!”
The coordinator of the campaign "Human Rights Defenders against the death penalty in Belarus" Andrei Paluda visited Rome together with the well-known advocate of the world-wide abolition of the death penalty, Uzbek human rights activist Tamara Chikunova, to take part in the events dedicated to the problem of death penalty and human rights violations.
02.12.2013 Minsk: Cities for Life, cities against the Death Penalty
During the several last years actions against the death penalty have been held in Minsk within the frames of the campaign "Cities for Life, Cities against the Death Penalty" on the last day of November.
28.11.2013 Leanid Sudalenka: “An ignorant person can say that we are "protecting murderers.” It's not true.”
Homel lawyer Leanid Sudalenka, who prepared a complaint to the UN Human Rights Committee on behalf of death convict Aliaksandr Hrunou as part of the campaign “Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty in Belarus”, in an interview for the dp.spring96.org website talks about the inefficiency of the death penalty as punishment.
22.11.2013 Sweden: 103 years without the death penalty
On November 23, Sweden marks 103 years since the last execution of a death sentence took place. The last execution in Sweden was enforced on November 23, 1910, when Johan Alfred Ander was beheaded by guillotine, after being sentenced to death for the murder of a 24-year-old cashier during a robbery in a shop in Stockholm.
19.11.2013 Ukraine’s experience: Abolition of the death penalty fails to cause boost in homicides
In the late 1990’s Ukraine saw heavy debate on whether to abolish the death penalty. One of the arguments of supporters of retaining the death penalty was the claim that it will cause a significant increase in the number of murders, saying that when criminals are not afraid of punishment, it is much easier to kill people.
18.11.2013 Mother of death convict Pavel Sialiun petitions Lukashenka
The woman asks to pardon her son, as well as to arrange a meeting with the death convict.
14.11.2013 UN Human Rights Committee recognized violation of the right to life in Andrei Zhuk's case
Having considered the individual appeal of the death convict Andrei Zhuk, executed in 2010, the UN Human Rights Committee found that his right to life was violated by the Belarusian state.
14.11.2013 Review of the case of the death convict Hrunou appointed on 26 November
On 26 November the Homel Regional Court will hold a new hearing on the criminal case of Aliaksandr Hrunou.
05.11.2013 Hrodna human rights defenders oppose discrimination
Hrodna human rights defenders Viktar Sazonau, Uladzimir Khilmanovich and Raman Yurhel filed to the Leninski District Court of Hrodna another complaint against the ruling of the Hrodna City Executive Committee dated 4 October and signed by its deputy head Alena Ahei, by which they werre prohibited to hold an informational picket on 10 October 2013.
28.10.2013 Bialynichy activists call for abolition of the death penalty
Civil society and political activists from the town of Bialynichy, Mahiliou region, urged local residents to join the campaign against the death penalty in Belarus. Local activists of the BPF party and the "Tell the Truth" campaign distributed postcards "We are against the Death Penalty", which suggest that Belarus should abandon the death penalty.
24.10.2013 Amnesty International on death sentence annulment: A step in the right direction
The President of the Republic of Belarus must introduce an immediate moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the use of the death penalty. Amnesty International reiterated its call while welcoming the fact that earlier this week the country’s Supreme Court overturned a death sentence.
24.10.2013 Mylène Farmer signs petition against the death penalty in Belarus
On October 24, three days before her arrival in Minsk, where Mylène Farmer is expected to present to the public her new show “Timeless”, she signed a petition of the campaign "Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty in Belarus."
24.10.2013 MFA avoids direct answer to human rights defender’s petition in case of death convict Pavel Sialiun
Coordinator of the campaign "Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty in Belarus" Andrei Paluda received a response from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus to his letter, in which the human rights activist informed the MFA of the registration in the UN Human Rights Committee of an individual complaint by Pavel Sialiun, sentenced to death earlier this year.
23.10.2013 Death sentence for Aliaksandr Hrunou may be commuted to life imprisonment
Representatives of the campaign "Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty in Belarus," who have been monitoring the trial of Aliaksandr Hrunou, do not rule out the possibility of replacing the execution with life imprisonment.
22.10.2013 Supreme Court overturns death verdict
The Criminal Division of the Supreme Court considered today an appeal filed by Aliaksandr Hrunou earlier sentenced to death by a verdict of the Homel Regional Court. Today, the case was sent back for revision.
