The fourth argument against the death penalty (video)
The death penalty, which is still preserved in Belarus, can be used not only against criminals, but also against political opponents of the authorities. Crimes of communism have not been condemned in Belarus, and the current regime to a great extent sees itself as the heir of the government that carried out mass executions of dissidents.
One of the characters in the film, Iryna Ashker, tells about her father’s and grandmother’s arrest in 1937. Ms. Ashker says her mother saw her husband leave the prison in Orsha to be executed in just a few hours. This is indeed a rare testimony, because most executions were secret. “Father just waved his hand and said, “Do not wait for me, go home! Mother fainted,” says Iryna Ashker.
The director emphasizes the “ordinariness of evil” and that the death penalty is becoming commonplace during mass repression. The film is based on materials from the book by Andrei Aliakhnovich and Siarhei Dubavets “The Chronicles of Political Terror. Krupki Region. 1918-2008”, as well as photographs by researcher Yury Koptsik.
The documentary has been produced in the framework of the campaign “Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty”. Director – Viktar Tratsiakou, script by Palina Stsepanenka.
See also:
The first argument against the death penalty
