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
Germann Bruno Pfäffikon/SZ Switzerland 01.04.2011
Ryf Patrick Switzerland 01.04.2011
Decnaeck Solange Genève,Suisse 01.04.2011
Balloux Jésabelle Lausanne, Suisse 01.04.2011
Іванна Яцюк Івано-Франківськ 01.04.2011
Анна Диамант Киев 01.04.2011
Наталія Жукова Токмак 01.04.2011
Berberova Léa Suisse 01.04.2011
Felber Elisabeth6. CH 4600 Olten 01.04.2011
Claudia Senn Switzerland 01.04.2011
Birkhahn Renate Möriken Switzerland 01.04.2011
Иван Кондратенко Воронеж 01.04.2011
Johannes Meyer Zürich 01.04.2011
Baumann Elisabeth Switzerland 01.04.2011
Robert-Charrue Josette Bôle, Suisse 01.04.2011
sergio zamorano España 01.04.2011
Цветкова Лилия Днепродзержинск 01.04.2011
Елена Проничева Киева 01.04.2011
Nadler Peter Faellanden, Switzerland 01.04.2011
Павел Синёв Санкт-Петербург 01.04.2011
Marina Stoffel Bern, Schweiz 01.04.2011
Кика Ольга Львов 31.03.2011
Isabelle Stoppa La Neuveville Switzerland 31.03.2011
Grimm Romy Zürich, Switzerland 31.03.2011
Silvan Siegrist Switzerland 31.03.2011
Locher Julia Bischofszell Schweiz 31.03.2011
Claudia Jost Geneveys-sur-Coffrane, Switzerland 31.03.2011
Pilz-Chassot, Christoph CH-4460 Gelterkinden/Switzerland 31.03.2011
Renggli Doris Zürich, Switzerland 31.03.2011
Олена Якубовська Ужгород 31.03.2011
Новик Алина Киев 31.03.2011
Герасим Галина Киев 31.03.2011
Braun Jenny Olten, Switzerland 31.03.2011
Анна Гребенюк Київ 31.03.2011
Руслана Коренчук Харьков 31.03.2011
rithner marlène 1470 estavayer-le-lac suisse 31.03.2011
Мар"яна Макарович Ужгород 31.03.2011
Yulia Dibrovska Sevilla, Spain 31.03.2011
Володимир Феськов Ужгород 31.03.2011
Dupont Dominique Vevey Suisse 31.03.2011
Елена Самойленко Москва 31.03.2011
Елена Белобородова Москва 31.03.2011
Fürst, Martin Rheinfelden, Schweiz 31.03.2011
Uwineza, Alice Leuven, Belgium 31.03.2011
sandrina palomera Geneva, Switzerland 31.03.2011
Sauter, Katrin Switzerland 31.03.2011
Игорь Самохин Киев 31.03.2011
Михаил Каменев Киев 31.03.2011
Maya Herzog Muttenz, Switzerland 31.03.2011
klingele peter naters, switzerland 31.03.2011
Leuenberger, Julia Basel, Schweiz 31.03.2011
Charlotte Baumann Granada, Spain 31.03.2011
Julie Ambilly, France 31.03.2011
MESSERLI-HUMAIR Guylaine GENEVE CONFEDERATION HELVETIQUE 31.03.2011
Batog Mihail Chisinau 31.03.2011
Waeber-Graf Janine Lausanne, Switzerland 31.03.2011
cailleau nathalie gex, france 31.03.2011
Gilberte Furet Geneva, Switzerland 31.03.2011
Christian Flueck Basel, Switzerland 31.03.2011
Галя Павлишин Львів 31.03.2011
Andrey Céline Fribourg, Switzerland 31.03.2011
Sofia Liebermann Reinach, Switzerland 31.03.2011
Anita Blom Herrliberg, Switzerland 31.03.2011
Leandra Jordi Brittnau, Switzerland 31.03.2011
Igor Stoica Chisinau, Moldova 31.03.2011
Вячеслав Иордаки Кишинёв 31.03.2011
Nichita Gurcov Chişinău 31.03.2011
Wodiunig, Tina Zürich, Switzerland 31.03.2011
Stefyuk Oksana Lviv, Ukraine 31.03.2011
Oppliger Daniela Switzerland 31.03.2011
Zugravu Gheorghe Chisinau 31.03.2011
Šumanský Roman Lipník nad Bečvou 31.03.2011
Sivia Bezoari Crans-Montana, Switzerland 31.03.2011
Ferracini Jasmin Switzerland 31.03.2011
benmouaz 'mohamed el amine algerie 31.03.2011
Михайло Черешнюк Івано-Франківськ 31.03.2011
Haug Irmgard Frenkendorf Schweiz 31.03.2011
Sarah Dejaegher Belgium 31.03.2011
Kramer, Christoph Winterthur, Schweiz 31.03.2011
Müller, Hans Switzerland 31.03.2011
Nina, Gutweniger Bern, Switzerland 31.03.2011
Berchtold Norma Naters 31.03.2011
Deborah Gos Geneva, Switzerland 31.03.2011
Андрій Турак Львів 31.03.2011
Христина Макулович Львів 31.03.2011
Rosenmund Wennberg Theres Ziefen, Switzerland 31.03.2011
Dan Grisel Elena St-Saphorin-sur-Morges, SUISSE 31.03.2011
Ростислав Семків Київ 31.03.2011
Ulysse Keller Zurich, CH 31.03.2011
Ivan Levytsky Lviv 31.03.2011
Игорь Коктыш Барановичи 31.03.2011
Knoepfel, Martin Wolfertswil, Switzerland 31.03.2011
Shelley Tillemans Switzerland 31.03.2011
Fritz, André Birsfelden, Switzerland 31.03.2011
Gallo Jasmine Felben-Wellhausen, Switzerland 30.03.2011
Oleg Veremienko, attorney-at-law Kyiv, UA 30.03.2011
Andrea Mozzini Bellinzona Svizzera 30.03.2011
Liza Papazoglou Zürich, Switzerland 30.03.2011
Мар'яна Нагірняк Київ 30.03.2011
Прокопчук Дмитрий Киев 30.03.2011

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