October 10 is World Day against the Death Penalty
After the Second World War, the world community reconsidered the value of every human life and declared the right to life of every person, regardless of their social status. In 1971, a UN resolution became the first step towards the universal abolition of the death penalty.
Belarus is the last country in Europe and the former Soviet Union that that continues to impose the death penalty on its citizens each year.
This summer, Rico Krieger, a 29-year-old employee of the German Red Cross, was sentenced to death in Belarus. He was later pardoned by Lukashenka.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya commented on the World Day against the Death Penalty:
"Life is a person’s most fundamental and invaluable asset. Life is something to appreciate every day. Something that needs to be protected. But now Belarus remains the only country in Europe where the death penalty exists. And this in itself is a relic of the past, denying the dignity of the human person.
The death penalty is a legitimization of violence. It is the path to boundless cruelty. No one deserves to be deprived of life on their knees. No one deserves not to know the day of their punishment. No family should be deprived of information about the place and date of death of their loved one. No one's life should be taken away by the state.
Ultimately, if the state determines who deserves to live and who does not, it sends a message: our will alone suffices, and we will strip you not only of your property and freedom but also of the most precious thing you possess."
