Say NO to the death penalty in Belarus

The rock concert “Last Dawn” was broadcast on-line by the web-page of the newspaper “Nasha Niva” and the websites tut.by and naviny.by. Creative persons united to remind that Belarus is the only country in Europe where the death penalty is not only permitted, but actively used.

NASTA SHPAKOUSKAYA, MUSICIAN:
" Such projects provide an opportunity to think about it, because if we do not address this topic, we simply close our eyes and refuse to think. Here is a possibility to rethink our attitude."

The concert "Last Dawn" started the Week against the Death Penalty, during which the Human Rights Center “Viasna” will myths: one in three of us mistakenly believe that there is a moratorium on the death penalty in Belarus. At the same time, a strong majority, about 60%, advocate for the death penalty, despite the sad historical experience.

LIAVON VOLSKI, MUSICIAN:
"If there is even a tiny chance, a 0,01% of miscarriage of justice, that a person is not guilty... As it was with the killer Mikhasevich: several people were killed after having wrongly testified against themselves."

One of the last cases of the death penalty, the case of Kavaliou and Kanavalau, is at least controversial. All in all, in 1998-2010 102 people were sentenced to death.

ALES DZIANISAU, MUSICIAN:
"Our judicial and penal system is far from ideal. They are also far from ideal in other countries, but in our country it sometimes acquires a political character."

The performing musicians draw attention to the fact that the relatives of the death convicts aren't informed about the time of the execution and the place of the burial, which adds to the severity of the capital punishment in Belarus.