News on the topic: death penalty
24.02.2009 Famous Belarusian musician Uladzimir Puhach: ‘To execute a human being for committing a crime is the silliest thing on Earth’
Uladzimir Puhach, frontman of J:MORC rock band, has joined the public campaign for the abolition of death penalty in Belarus, saying that ‘it is not the gravity of the punishment but its inevitability that keeps a person from committing a crime.’ ‘Mankind has passed through many stages of development. Many things have been invented and many things have been forgotten. This is how the progress comes into being. People used to eat one another – then they gave it up. People used to kill one another and, unfortunately, continue to do so. But I believe that one day people will stop killing each other. And what could be my biggest dream is that one day people will stop killing each other by law.
19.02.2009 Abolition of capital punishment discussed during meeting of Prosecutor General and PACE delegation
On 18 February during a meeting with the Prosecutor General of Belarus the PACE delegation considered the possibility of the abolition of death penalty. According to Deputy Prosecutor General Aliaksei Stuk, the meeting had a working character. ‘We answered all their questions. We discussed the development of democratic legal instruments in the country, along with the administration of justice,’ said Mr.Stuk. Prosecutor General also said the country was moving towards the abolition of capital punishment. The PACE delegation was told that the cases of using the sentence had been scarce over the past few years. ‘Capital punishment is not an end in itself, neither is it an obsession, but a means of protecting the society from extremely dangerous persons,’ said Mr.Stuk.
17.02.2009 Sviatlana Aleksievich: ‘I think our world will always be a world of murderers’
The famous Belarusian writer Svitalana Aleksievich has joined the campaign ‘Human Rights Activists against Capital Punishment’, by signing the petition to the Belarusian authorities. ‘For over 30 years I have been writing my ‘red chronicle’ – my series of books. I have written about war. I was in Afghanistan and saw people being killed… I have always thought about how people can live together knowing they can kill each other at any time, that is do God’s work. Since no one has the right to do this.
10.02.2009 Ales Bialiatski: ‘Registration or non-registration of ‘Nasha Viasna’ is the indicator of the readiness of the authorities to change their policy towards NGOs’
Mr. Ales! At present the Belarusian mass media actively discuss the information that the documents for registration of the human rights association Nasha Viasna, among the founders of which there are members of the liquidated by the authorities Human Rights Center Viasna, have been passed to the Ministry of Justice.
30.01.2009 Famous TV announcer Bandarenka joins anti-death penalty campaign
Zinaida Bandarenka, Honoured artist of Belarus, says the state should implement its humanistic commitments de-facto. ‘I think that there should be no executions in the Christian Belarus. Man is the work of God and therefore he should live. In case he commits a brutal crime, he is sure to be punished after death. Let alone the numerous mistakes of court. We will never forget the notorious Vitsebsk case. We are so often told that we are a civilized state, so we should be civilized and abolish capital punishment in Belarus.’
28.01.2009 Ales Bialiatski: ‘Registration or non-registration of Nasha Viasna will show the readiness of the authorities for changes pertaining to NGOs’
Mr.Bialiatski’s interview concerning the registration of the Nasha Viasna human rights organization. Q: Mr.Bialiatski, Belarusian mass media have repeatedly mentioned that the Nasha Viasna human rights organization, founded by members of the liquidated Human Rights Center Viasna, has applied for registration to the Ministry of Justice.
27.01.2009 Ex-leader of Belarus Hryb signs anti-death penalty petition
The former head of the Supreme Soviet of Belarus (1994-1996) and member of the oppositional Social Democratic Hramada Party Mechyslau Hryb was the first politician to join the public campaign aimed at the abolition of capital punishment in the country. In 1985 Hryb was appointed head investigator in the case of serial murders in Vitsebsk and could witness the inefficiency of death penalty after 14 persons were illegally convicted of brutal murder, one of them being sentenced to extreme penalty and exexuted.
26.01.2009 Human rights activists against death penalty campaign launched in Belarus
A number of Belarusian human rights experts have launched a public campaign aimed at the abolition of capital punishment in Belarus. A special petition drawn up by representatives of the Belarusian human rights community will be sent to the Parliament, the Government and the President of Belarus.
22.01.2009 Human rights expert comments on statement by Prosecutor General Vasilevich
On 21 January at a press-conference, dedicated to the recent facts of corruption among Belarusian officials, the General Prosecutor Ryhor Vasilevich said Belarus might abolish death penalty in case the country is admitted to the Council of Europe. Otherwise, Belarus will continue using the sentence as a preventive measure.
12.01.2009 Death Penalty in Belarus
The right to life is a fundamental human right. The state must protect human life from all unlawful attempts and other threats and provide legal, social, economical, ecological and other conditions for a normal and worthy life.
24.10.2008 Amnesty International representative attempts to meet with heads of law-enforcement ministries
Official representative of the human rights organization Amnesty International Heather McGill will visit Belarus. During the visit she plans to carry out a number of meetings with staff of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Court, and other bodies.
11.10.2008 More than 160 people were executed in Belarus for 11 years
Europe marks the Day against the Death Penalty on 10 October. Belarus is the only country in Europe where death penal wasn’t abolished and is used rather often.
10.09.2008 2008: one death sentence and three life sentences in Belarus
In 2008 in Belarus one person was sentenced to capital punishments and three – to lifelong imprisonment. This information was voiced at a press conference in Minsk on 9 September by the head of the Supreme Court Valiantsin Sukala. According to his information, at present 130 people are serving their life sentences in Belarus.
12.03.2008 Traffic Police Senselessly Put Citizens’ Lives in Danger
Traffic police officers barred the road with car with people inside to stop a drunk driver, rushing at 180 km/h.
11.02.2008 Amnesty International and Belarusian Helsinki Committee Condemn Executions of Convicts in Belarus
On 5 February 5 the Supreme Court of Belarus announced that Siarhei Marozau, the leader of a Homel-based criminal gang, and his close associates, Valery Harbaty and Ihar Danchanka, had been executed by shooting. The three were sentenced to death by shooting in a months-long trial that came to an end on 1 December 2006. The so-called Marozau Gang, which was said to have terrorized the Homel region between 1990 and 2004, was accused of 16 murders.
