News
Death penalty: news in Vasil Yuzepchuk’s case
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs answered the address of human rights defenders concerning the registration of the death convict Vasil Yuzepchuk’s communication by the UN Human Rights Committee. Read more…
Andrei Zhuk’s mother addressed Belarusian president asking to pardon her son
Struggling for the life of her son, Andrei Zhuk’s mother is trying to use all possible means including the international mechanisms and personal address to the president. On 10 November Sviatlana Zhuk addressed Aliaksandr Lukashenka through mass media, asking to pardon her son, the death verdict to whom came into force after consideration of the cassation complaint by the Supreme Court. Read more…
Pavel Sapelka: ‘The state must take the responsibility for the results of breeding its citizens’
The lawyer Pavel Sapelka joined the campaign Human Rights Defenders against Death Penalty and signed the petition to the Belarusian authorities with the demand to abolish the death penalty in the country. Read more…
Human rights defenders again urge MFA to implement the international undertakings of Belarus
Human rights defenders applied with an open address to the minister of foreign affairs Siarhei Martynau concerning the registration of the individual communication of the death convict Vasil Yuzepchuk by the UN Human Rights Committee. Read more…
Mother of capitally convicted person addresses UN Human Rights Committee with complaint
The mother of Andrei Zhuk, who was sentenced to death for alleged murder of two persons in February 2009, has submitted an individual complaint with the UN Human Rights Committee, claiming that in the course of the investigation and the trial, a number of provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights were violated, namely the right to life, the right to freedom of torture, the right to individual liberty and personal immunity and the right to a fair trial. The woman also calls upon the Committee to immediately address Belarus, as a party to the Covenant, with a demand to suspend executing the death sentence before the consideration of the case on the merits. Read more…
Viasna issues statement on death sentences to Vasil Yuzepchuk and Andrei Zhuk
The Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus has considered the appeals by Vasil Yuzepchuk (against the verdict by Brest Regional Court of 29 June 2009) and Andrei Zhuk (against the verdict by Minsk Regional Court of 29 June 2009) and resolved to uphold the decisions, thereby legalizing both the sentences. Belarusian human rights activists have expressed their deep concern over the possible execution of the death penalties. According to the convicts’ legal advisors, the verdict by Brest Regional Court was based on conjectures, resulting from evidence by the police, with no direct proofs at all. Mr. Yuzepchuk was reportedly beaten while in pre-trial prison and the traumas were registered. Apart from that, according to a report by a board of experts, the convict has a light mental deficiency. Therefore, the human rights activists have a strong doubt that the death penalty is too severe and groundless punishment. There are several extenuating circumstances: Andrei Zhuk admitted his guilt, cooperated with the investigators and repented of the offence. Read more…
Andrei Zhuk: pardon appeal rejected
The Board for Criminal Cases of the Supreme Court has turned down the appeal for pardon by Andrei Zhuk, sentenced to death for alleged murder of six persons. During the court session, the convict's legal advisors presented a number of evidence, stating the severe sentence could be reduced. They also spoke in favour of the abolition of the death penalty. In his last word, Mr. Zhuk admitted his guilt, but asked to reduce the verdict. Read more…
Jean-Eric Holzapfel hopes Belarus declares moratorium on death penalty
The declaration of a moratorium on the death penalty is the key point for further development of EU-Belarus dialogue, said Jean-Eric Holzapfel, European Commission representative in Belarus, in his interview with the European Radio for Belarus during a round table discussion, concluding the international technical support project ‘Promotion of wider use of international human rights standards in the administration of justice in the Republic of Belarus.’ ‘This issue should be addressed by respective authorities in Belarus. But I can say that the declaration of a moratorium on the death penalty is the most important element for the development of relations between Belarus and the Council of Europe. It is one of the points laid in the 2006 document – the so called 12 points’, said Mr. Holzapfel. Read more…
Capitally convicted person pleas for mercy
On 16 October the lawyer of Vasil Yuzepchuk, sentenced to death penalty for alleged murder of six elderly women, has lodged an appeal for pardon with President Lukashenka. The convict asks to spare his life, due to possible future circumstances that may prove his innocence. In case the verdict is executed, and such circumstances are established, is will not be able to be corrected. Belarusian human rights activists have expressed their concern over the upcoming execution. Read more…
Baranavichy: human rights defenders apply to prosecutor’s office
The human rights defenders of Baranavichy seek to stop the disgraceful practice of banning mass actions by the local authorities. Siarhei Housha, Karnei Piatrovich and Viktar Syrytsa prepared an address to the prosecutor’s office of Baranavichy district concerning the ban of a picket to them. Read more…
Uladzimir Katsora demands to punish police perjurers
On 14 October the head of Homel branch of the For Freedom movement Uladzimir Katsora addressed Homel oblast prosecutor’s office with the demand to instigate a criminal case against the police officers who had drawn up on him deceitful reports following his detention on 16 September. Later Katsora and some other democratic activists of Homel were fined by court on the basis of these documents. Read more…
Death convict Yuzepchuk has some hope again
On 12 October 2009 the UN Human Rights Committee registered the individual address of Vasil Yuzepchuk, sentenced to death by Brest oblast court, under number 1906/2009. The appropriate information was received from Geneva office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights by the human rights defender Raman Kisliak. Read more…
‘They wanted me to confess for more cases, but I said they should stop earning points on me’
A short frail man, looking quite pitifully, was sitting behind the bars in the court hall. What he was saying was sometimes not very understandable. His words showed that he sometimes did not understand well enough what was going on around him. Read more…
Navapolatsk: police detain participants of action against death penalty
Navapolatsk police detained the human rights defender Zmitser Salauyou and the youth activsits Alina Kucharenka and Yury Palonski during an informational action dated to the Universal Day against the Death Penalty within the framework of the campaign Human Rights Defenders against Death Penalty in Belarus. Read more…
Awards were given to winners of contest of competition of creative works on death penalty
The names of the winners of the competition of creative works within the framework of the campaign Human Rights Defenders against Death Penalty in Belarus were called on 10 October, on the World Day against the Death Penalty. Read more…
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