News
Information campaign for abolition of death penalty to be carried out in Belarus, Lukashenka says
In his interview with the La Stampa Italian newspaper, President Lukashenka said an information campaign for the abolition of the death penalty in Belarus would be launched in the near future, the BELTA news agency reports. Czytaj więcej…
Aleh Hulak: ‘The death penalty is a humiliation of people, the right, the present’
Aleh Hulak, head of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, has joined the campaign against the death penalty in Belarus. ‘I believe that Belarus must abolish the death penalty. It is savage to allow the state to murder a human being in the XXI century. Czytaj więcej…
Prosecutor General turns down Viasna's complaint
The Human Rights Center Viasna has recieved another reply to its complaint lodged with the Office of Prosecutor's General of Belarus concerning the forthcoming execution of the death sentences to Vasil Yuzepchuk and Andrei Zhuk. In an official reply, representative of the Prosecutor's Office Mrs. Haurylenka says that 'only the convict, his legal advisor, the victim, public defendant or their representatives can appeal the verdict... Since the applicants are not participants of the criminal process, the complaint is left unattended.' Czytaj więcej…
Death convict Andrei Zhuk pleas for mercy
Andrei Zhuk, sentenced to death for alleged murder of two persons, has lodged a plea for mercy with President Lukashenka. This is his last and only chance. Belarusian human rights activists believe that Andrei Zhuk should be pardoned. ‘We, as human rights defenders, call upon the Belarusian authorities to display humanism. Andrei Zhuk’s family have also addressed the President with a plea for mercy. Albeit lacking any legal effect, we do hope their appeal will be taken into consideration by the authorities, too,’ said Viasna’s lawyer Valiantsin Stefanovich. Czytaj więcej…
Famous film director Zanussi condemns death penalty
During his visit to the Listapad international film festival in Minsk, the world famous Polish film director Krzysztof Zanussi has commented on his view of the death penalty. ‘You know, in my country it was banned a long time ago. Pope John Paul II used to speak strongly, saying there was no justification for the death penalty in the modern world, though there perhaps used to be one before. Surely, from a human point of view, I am definitely opposed to it; it seems to me to be something absolutely unreal. Czytaj więcej…
Russia’s Constitutional Court bans death penalty
The Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation has ruled to declare that the death penalty cannot be used even after the termination of the moratorium, the Interfax news agency reports. The moratorium on the death penalty expires on 1 January 2010, together with the introduction of the jury trial in Russia’s last region – Chechen Republic. After that there would be no formal obstacles for using the death penalty in Russia. However, the Constitutional Court stresses that the introduction of the jury trial in Russia does not allow for the use of the death penalty. Czytaj więcej…
Belarusian authorities consider Yuzepchuk’s address to UN illegal
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has received from the state organs of Belarus explanations concerning the individual communication on behalf of the death convict Vasil Yuzepchuk. Czytaj więcej…
Death penalty: news in Vasil Yuzepchuk’s case
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs answered the address of human rights defenders concerning the registration of the death convict Vasil Yuzepchuk’s communication by the UN Human Rights Committee. Czytaj więcej…
Andrei Zhuk’s mother addressed Belarusian president asking to pardon her son
Struggling for the life of her son, Andrei Zhuk’s mother is trying to use all possible means including the international mechanisms and personal address to the president. On 10 November Sviatlana Zhuk addressed Aliaksandr Lukashenka through mass media, asking to pardon her son, the death verdict to whom came into force after consideration of the cassation complaint by the Supreme Court. Czytaj więcej…
Pavel Sapelka: ‘The state must take the responsibility for the results of breeding its citizens’
The lawyer Pavel Sapelka joined the campaign Human Rights Defenders against Death Penalty and signed the petition to the Belarusian authorities with the demand to abolish the death penalty in the country. Czytaj więcej…
Human rights defenders again urge MFA to implement the international undertakings of Belarus
Human rights defenders applied with an open address to the minister of foreign affairs Siarhei Martynau concerning the registration of the individual communication of the death convict Vasil Yuzepchuk by the UN Human Rights Committee. Czytaj więcej…
Mother of capitally convicted person addresses UN Human Rights Committee with complaint
The mother of Andrei Zhuk, who was sentenced to death for alleged murder of two persons in February 2009, has submitted an individual complaint with the UN Human Rights Committee, claiming that in the course of the investigation and the trial, a number of provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights were violated, namely the right to life, the right to freedom of torture, the right to individual liberty and personal immunity and the right to a fair trial. The woman also calls upon the Committee to immediately address Belarus, as a party to the Covenant, with a demand to suspend executing the death sentence before the consideration of the case on the merits. Czytaj więcej…
Viasna issues statement on death sentences to Vasil Yuzepchuk and Andrei Zhuk
The Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus has considered the appeals by Vasil Yuzepchuk (against the verdict by Brest Regional Court of 29 June 2009) and Andrei Zhuk (against the verdict by Minsk Regional Court of 29 June 2009) and resolved to uphold the decisions, thereby legalizing both the sentences. Belarusian human rights activists have expressed their deep concern over the possible execution of the death penalties. According to the convicts’ legal advisors, the verdict by Brest Regional Court was based on conjectures, resulting from evidence by the police, with no direct proofs at all. Mr. Yuzepchuk was reportedly beaten while in pre-trial prison and the traumas were registered. Apart from that, according to a report by a board of experts, the convict has a light mental deficiency. Therefore, the human rights activists have a strong doubt that the death penalty is too severe and groundless punishment. There are several extenuating circumstances: Andrei Zhuk admitted his guilt, cooperated with the investigators and repented of the offence. Czytaj więcej…
Andrei Zhuk: pardon appeal rejected
The Board for Criminal Cases of the Supreme Court has turned down the appeal for pardon by Andrei Zhuk, sentenced to death for alleged murder of six persons. During the court session, the convict's legal advisors presented a number of evidence, stating the severe sentence could be reduced. They also spoke in favour of the abolition of the death penalty. In his last word, Mr. Zhuk admitted his guilt, but asked to reduce the verdict. Czytaj więcej…
Jean-Eric Holzapfel hopes Belarus declares moratorium on death penalty
The declaration of a moratorium on the death penalty is the key point for further development of EU-Belarus dialogue, said Jean-Eric Holzapfel, European Commission representative in Belarus, in his interview with the European Radio for Belarus during a round table discussion, concluding the international technical support project ‘Promotion of wider use of international human rights standards in the administration of justice in the Republic of Belarus.’ ‘This issue should be addressed by respective authorities in Belarus. But I can say that the declaration of a moratorium on the death penalty is the most important element for the development of relations between Belarus and the Council of Europe. It is one of the points laid in the 2006 document – the so called 12 points’, said Mr. Holzapfel. Czytaj więcej…
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