Human rights defender Viktar Adzinochanka comments on death sentence in Homel
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- Member of Belarusian Helsinki Committee Viktar Adzinochanka
A
member of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Viktar Adzinochanka
commented on the death sentence pronounced on 14 June in Homel to a
25 year-old man. "We, human rights activists consistently
oppose the death penalty. And in this case, I am convinced of the
correctness of our position. Of course, a terrible murder was
committed, but if we take account of the interests of our society, it
is not the kind of person who should be shot," suggested the
human rights activist.
He believes that the reason for the
delivery of the death verdict was that the defendant did not defend
himself even when he had his last plea in court. "He just
apologized to the mother of the killed, that's all. The judge
repeatedly asked whether he had anything else to say, and the
defendant answered he had nothing else to say, he didn't even ask for
mercy, didn't try to defend himself," said Viktar
Adzinochanka.
According to him, the trial was conducted in
accordance with the law. "Still, I believe that the death
penalty in this country should be canceled, it does not solve the
problem," summed up the human rights activist.
Bear in
mind that on 14 June the Homel Regional Court issued a verdict in a
criminal case against a 25-year resident of Homel, accused of killing
a student of the Homel State University named after Skaryna Natallia
Yemelyanchykava. The extremely cruel murder took place on 20
September 2012, the victim suffered 102 stab wounds. The girl died
just few meters away from her house.
The court agreed with
the requirements of the state prosecutor and sentenced the young man
to death by shooting. The verdict may still be appealed. The accused
has the right to petition for clemency.
The public prosecution
demanded the death penalty for him during the previous sitting, on 4
June. In 2005 the defendant was sentenced to 8 years of imprisonment
for inflicting grievous bodily harm resulting in death – he beat to
death his mother's cohabitant.
He
killed the girl one year after his release from jail.
"The
accused presents a high danger to the society and must be given the
hardest punishment possible," noticed the
prosecutor.
The
psychiatric examination found him mentally healthy, he
was not in a state of temporary insanity at the time of the murder.
He didn't suffer from alcohol or drugs
dependence. However, he
has a mixed personality disorder.
At
the trial the defendant admitted his
guilt completely. He
stated that around June-July 2012 he
had been in a group of
people with Natallia
Yemialyanchykava, and
she had insulted him. On 19 September
he was traveling on a bus with
his mistress and a
friend and met Natallia.
He knew where she lived, as he was acquainted
with her brother. The accused got off the bus
one stop away from the house where the victim lived and ran through
the yards. He waited until the girl came to
the entrance, and then attacked her with a knife.
On
12 June the mother of
the accused told the
journalists that if the girl who insulted his
son apologized, the tragedy could have been avoided. According to the
mother, the son defended his
dignity, and "earlier, people fought at
duels for insults, so why couldn't my son defend his dignity?".
She would like the son to be sentenced to 25
years in prison. "He
has seen no good in this life, and now they are
asking for his death. His father was murdered when he was a child and
the killers haven't been ever found.
Yes, he murdered my cohabitant but that one
was a tramp who
collected bottles, he defended his girlfriend as she had a conflict
with him," stated
the mother.
