Homel: court refuses to instigate criminal proceedings on the lawsuit of the death row convict Aliaksandr Hrunou's mother
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- A prison uniform - all that’s left of Aliaksandr Hrunou
The Tsentralny District Court of Homel refused to institute civil proceedings against the Homel Regional Court and the Department of Corrections, which refuse to inform Volha Hrunova about the burial place of her son. December 13 woman filed an appeal against the refusal of the district court with the Homel Regional Court.
Earlier, Chairman of the Homel Regional Court Siarhei Shautsou turned down Volha Hrunova's request for the issuance of the son's body, or specifying the location of his burial. The Court referred to Article 175 of the Criminal Executive Code, according to which "the death penalty is executed by non-public execution. The body is not issued for burial, the place of burial is not disclosed".
With the help of Homel human rights activists the woman has started a strategic litigation aimed at changing both legislation and practice that every time lead to the suffering of parents and relatives of death row convicts in Belarus.
"The secrecy surrounding the date of execution and place of burial and the refusal to grant a body for burial in accordance with religious beliefs and customs of the family of the executed has the effect of intimidation and punishment of the relatives. This, as well as the persistent refusal of the state to inform the mother about the place of burial of her son amounts to inhuman treatment,” said human rights activist Leanid Sudalenka, who provides legal assistance to the woman.
After depleting all domestic remedies, the mother of Aliaksandr Hrunou intends to appeal to the United Nations Human Rights Committee.
Aliaksandr Hrunou was shot October 22, 2014 for a murder. He managed to register a complaint with the UN Human Rights Committee. Regardless of the execution of the death sentence, the Committee continues to consider his case.
