Say NO to the death penalty in Belarus

This year, the first ban has been received by the local human rights defenders when applied for the authorization of a picket on 4 August in support of Ales Bialiatski and other political prisoners. The denial was signed by the deputy chairman of the Biaroza District Executive Committee Yauhen Tarasiuk.

In October, the human rights defenders received a denial signed by the deputy chairman of the executive committee Viktar Mikhniuk. The picket was not permitted for a usual reason: the absence of service contracts with the police, ambulance and community services, which are necessary for holding a mass event according to the Law of the Republic of Belarus of 7 August 2003 and the ruling of the Biaroza District Executive Committee of 9 February 2003.

“It is impossible to enter into such contracts”, says one of the applicants, Siarzhuk Rusetski. “On 25 September the service agreements for 10 October, the World Day against the Death Penalty, and for 10 November – in support of political prisoners, were filed to the Biaroza District Police Department, the hospital and the communal utilities. THe same day the application for the 10 October picket was filed."

The police answered that according to the ruling of the Council of Ministers for 2012 No. 207, the executive committee was to supply them with a copy of the registered application for the picket (which the executive committee failed to do) and only then the actions of the police during the picket could be discussed with the executive committee.

These events show the attitude of the authorities to the death penalty – they don't want it ti become a public issue. It can be concluded that the ruling elite in Biaroza doesn't mant to think about the fact that Belarus is the only European countries where the death penalty hasn't been abolished yet.