Capital punishment in Belarus, analytics, Petition against the Death Penalty in Belarus

Belarus is the last country in Europe and former Soviet Union that is still carrying out the death penalty. Amnesty International, Human Rights Centre “Viasna”, Belarusian Helsinki Committee and other human rights defenders in Belarus oppose the death penalty in all cases without exception. The death penalty is a violation of the right to life, guaranteed by the Constitution of Belarus and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Nothing can justify the purposeful and ruthless taking of a human life by State.

The death penalty is a destructive and divisive public policy that has been shown to have no special deterrent effect on crime. It distracts from effective measures being taken against criminality through promoting simplistic responses to complex human problems. It denies the possibility of rehabilitation and reconciliation. It prolongs the suffering of the murder victim’s family, and extends that suffering to the relatives of the condemned prisoner. Amnesty International, Human Rights Centre “Viasna”, Belarusian Helsinki Committee does not seek to belittle the suffering of the families of murder victims, and recognizes and endorses a government’s duty to protect the rights of all people under its jurisdiction. However, executions are a symptom of a culture of violence rather than a solution to it. By executing a person the state commits a premeditated killing and shows a similar readiness to use physical violence as the criminal.

In Belarus the use of the death penalty is compounded by a flawed criminal justice system that administers capital punishment in a manner that violates international laws and standards pertaining to the death penalty. There is credible evidence that torture and ill-treatment are used to extract “confessions”; condemned prisoners may not have access to effective appeal mechanisms; and the inherently cruel, inhuman and degrading nature of the death penalty is compounded for death row prisoners and their relatives by the secrecy surrounding the death penalty. Neither prisoners nor their families are told the execution date in advance and prisoners must live with the fear that every time their cell door opens they may be taken for execution.

We call on the President and Parliament of Belarus to immediately declare a moratorium on death sentences and executions as a first step towards full abolition of the death penalty.

The number of signatories 17 565

Name Country Date of fill
Eliane Künzle St. Gallen, Switzerland 16.05.2011
Brütsch Meret Herzogenbuchsee, Switzerland 16.05.2011
Malherbe Patricia Lausanne - SUISSE 16.05.2011
Ales' Reznikau Mensk 16.05.2011
Meier Bettina Buttikon SZ, Switzerland 16.05.2011
Михаил Городецкий Киев 15.05.2011
Köpfli , Pascal Luzern , Switzerland 15.05.2011
Olivier Dewarrat Monthey Switzerland 14.05.2011
Alison Chisholm Guenat Berne, Switzerland 14.05.2011
Краснюк Дмитрий Минск 13.05.2011
Маринич Мария Минск 13.05.2011
Moser Jean CH-2300 La Chaux-de-Fonds - Switzerland 12.05.2011
Patricia Ott München, Germany 10.05.2011
Пирен Реми Швицарий 10.05.2011
walter ludin luzern, switzerland 10.05.2011
List Lea Switzerland 09.05.2011
Annick Busset Bern Switzerland 09.05.2011
Amsler Benjamin Renens, Switzerland 09.05.2011
Инесса Михайловна Герасимович Гомель 09.05.2011
Iris, Stricker Hettiswil, Switzerland 09.05.2011
Савiч Зьмiцер Светлагорск 06.05.2011
Шпак-Рыжкаў Юрай-Міхал Менск 06.05.2011
Таццяна Бабич Минск 05.05.2011
Наталля Протман Беларусь-Швейцарыя 04.05.2011
Владимир Качмар Львов 02.05.2011
Шевченко Ольга Киев 02.05.2011
Babette Irgmaier Rosenheim, Deutschland 01.05.2011
Paerli Laurence Genève Suisse 01.05.2011
bonnelie france 01.05.2011
Mariia Teimurazian Kyiv, Ukraine 30.04.2011
Аня Пагуда Маладзечна 29.04.2011
Віка Пагуда Маладзечна 29.04.2011
Ларыса Пагуда Маладзечна 29.04.2011
Abhervé, Aurélia Champéry, Switzerland 28.04.2011
Велитченко Александр Минск 28.04.2011
Neuhaus Marco St. Silvester, Switzerland 26.04.2011
Аляксей Казанцаў Жодзіна 26.04.2011
Вера Снитко Минск 25.04.2011
Michail Vashkevich-Bulgaria. Sofia. 25.04.2011
Brun, Cornelia Bremgarten, Schweiz 24.04.2011
Alena Alaverdziyeva Витебск 23.04.2011
Аляксей Кліменка Мінск 23.04.2011
Панина Александра Минск 22.04.2011
Голодняк Олег Киев 21.04.2011
Künzler Fanny Suisse 21.04.2011
Kaj Niggli Basel, Switzerland 21.04.2011
Владислав Гладкий Минск 20.04.2011
Kammerlander Marie Lausanne, Switzerland 20.04.2011
Gottraux Stéphane Meyrin Suisse 20.04.2011
Ammann, Hans-Jakob Baden, CH 19.04.2011
Antezana, Camilo Zürich, Switzerland 19.04.2011
Stierli, Andrea Zürich, Switzerland 19.04.2011
Павловский Кирилл Минск 18.04.2011
cotting anne-marie swizzerland 17.04.2011
Iosca Aline Lenzburg , Switzerland 17.04.2011
Ariana Klemm Berlin, Germany 17.04.2011
SUSAN ORBAN KAISERAUGST, SCHWEIZ 17.04.2011
KARIM ORBAN KAISERAUGST, SCHWEIZ 17.04.2011
TONY FERRARI KAISERAUGST, SCHWEIZ 17.04.2011
ROLF KÖNIG KAISERAUGST, SCHWEIZ 17.04.2011
DORIS KÖNIG KAISERAUGST, SCHWEIZ 17.04.2011
ILONA ARCES KAISERAUGST, SCHWEIZ 17.04.2011
STEFANO GALLI KAISERAUGST, SCHWEIZ 17.04.2011
DAVIDE GALLI KAISERAUGST, SCHWEIZ 17.04.2011
FILIPPO GALLI KAISERAUGST, SCHWEIZ 17.04.2011
IRENE WAHL KAISERAUGST, SCHWEIZ 17.04.2011
CARMEN ARCES KAISERAUGST, SCHWEIZ 17.04.2011
SIMON ARCES KAISERAUGST, SCHWEIZ 17.04.2011
SONNTAG CATRINE KAISERAUGST, SCHWEIZ 17.04.2011
BUETZBERGER PATRICK KAISERAUGST, SCHWEIZ 17.04.2011
BUETZBERGER MARKO KAISERAUGST, SCHWEIZ 17.04.2011
Kelava Maja Switzerland 16.04.2011
Iryna Entfellner Austria, Gleisdorf 15.04.2011
Ackermann Jakob CH-9306 Freidorf, Switzerland 14.04.2011
Ackermann Rosmarie CH-9306 Freidorf, Switzerland 14.04.2011
Таццяна Печанько Заслаўе 14.04.2011
vadzims salihovs 1976 14.04.2011
Thomas Kupferschläger Zierenberg Germany 13.04.2011
Maret Frederic Bagnes, Switzerland 13.04.2011
Livia Bouvier Suisse 13.04.2011
HERAULT Laurent FRANCE 13.04.2011
Валерия Рачковская Минск 12.04.2011
Glatz Adrian Cham, Switzerland 12.04.2011
Goytizolo, Ricardo Zurich, Switzerland 12.04.2011
Eggertswyler Amélie Fribourg,Suisse 12.04.2011
Jason Bramlette Fresno,Ca. U.S.A. 12.04.2011
Gabriel Sevilla Geneva, Switzerland 12.04.2011
Paerli Laurence-H. Genève Suisse 11.04.2011
Laesser Claude La Chaux-de-Fonds Switzerland 11.04.2011
Laesser Margrit La Chaux-de-Fonds Switzerland 11.04.2011
Angelica Züst Altdorf, Switzerland 11.04.2011
Коваль Екатерина Владимировна Киев 11.04.2011
Мезенцев Леонид Барановичи 11.04.2011
Лиля Чулицкая Киев 11.04.2011
Мария Куц Киев 10.04.2011
Приймачук Христина Київ 10.04.2011
Бондарь Ольга Москва 10.04.2011
хоруженко анастасия киев 10.04.2011
Валерия Зализняк Киев 10.04.2011
Екатерина Казановская Киев 10.04.2011

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