17.10.2011 The Thousand Year Journey: Death Penalty Abolition in the UK

From a great King, to Parliamentarians, from the earliest NGOs and onto the public street ….. a thousand year journey to ban the death penalty in the UK. British Ambassador in Belarus Rosemary Thomas writes.

12.10.2011 The death penalty - does it defend or diminish the dignity of man?

Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind.....

John Donne, 16th Century English Poet

10.10.2011 Killer state

Death convicts are executed every year only in one European country, Belarus. The state continues to take revenge on the criminals, forgetting about the principles of rehabilitation and just punishment, and thus becomes the murderer of its citizens.

10.10.2011 Human rights defenders remind Belarusians about the problem of death penalty (photo report)

On 10 October, the World Day against the Death Penalty, civil activists and volunteers held informational actions in different parts of Belarus. In Minsk, activists of the campaign “Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty” came to Nezalezhnasts Avenue to remind passers-by that the Belarusian state still kills people. People eagerly took the informational booklets that were distributed by the human rights defenders. There are many people who are concerned with this problem. Some of them even started discussions with the activists.

10.10.2011 Why is the death penalty in Belarus such a huge issue for the EU?

Mrs Rosemary Thomas, British Ambassador in Belarus, writes on the occasion of World Day against the Death Penalty.

10.10.2011 World Day Against the Death Penalty:Belarus urged to end executions

Amnesty International activists around the world are coming together on the World Day Against the Death Penalty to demand an end to executions in Belarus, the only country in Europe and the former Soviet Union that still executes.

30.09.2011 “Belarusian bars are becoming Justice Ministry’s department”

“Belarusian bars are becoming Justice Ministry’s department”, - say the participants of the International Congress of the European Bars Federation held in Wroclaw in late September, where Belarusian lawyers were represented by Pavel Sapelka, deprived of his license for involvement in politically-motivated criminal cases.

30.09.2011 Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty choose campaign’s logo

On 29 September, Minsk-based “U” Gallery hosted the award ceremony of the contest for the best logo for the “Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty” civil campaign.

27.09.2011 Government issues death certificates to families of Hryshkautsou and Burdyka

The families of Ales Hryshkautsou and Andrei Burdyka, executed in July 2011, can now receive death certificates at local civil registration departments, says Andrei Paluda, coordinator of the “Human Rights Defenders Against the Death Penalty” campaign.

19.09.2011 Mahiliou activists campaign for abolishment of death penalty

Activists of Mahiliou youth organizations conducted an informational action “Human rights defenders against death penalty in Belarus” on September 18.

29.07.2011 Human rights defender Sudalenka on MFA’s statement: “You’ll never share someone’s opinion, unless you implement your obligations”

The UN Human Rights Committee’s statement on Belarus’ violations of its international obligations by executing two death sentences is “injurious”, Belarusian MFA spokesperson Andrei Savinykh said on 28 July.

29.07.2011 Statement by the International Commission against the Death Penalty on the execution of Aleh Hryshkawtsow and Andrey Burdyka in Belarus

They were sentenced to death in May 2010 and, according to several human rights organisations, have been executed without neither of them nor their families being notified in advance on their execution date.

28.07.2011 UN committee says executions in Belarus violate international obligations

27 July 2011 – The United Nations Human Rights Committee today accused Belarus of violating its international agreements by executing two persons while their cases were still under review by the committee.

27.07.2011 Amnesty International condemns recent executions in Belarus

The recent execution of a Belarusian man convicted of assault and murder does nothing to advance the cause of justice, Amnesty International said today.

26.07.2011 Valiantsin Stefanovich: “Belarus should leave the UN and live under its own national laws”

“Under the UN procedures, Belarus should not have executed the death verdicts. However, our country, as I see it, once again ignores its obligations undertaken under the UN instruments”, said human rights defender Valiantsin Stefanovich in an interview to www.zautra.by, following reports of two death convicts being executed in Minsk last week.