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
Lucie Henrioux Nyon, Switzerland 06.02.2011
Rohner Anita Bad Ragaz, Switzerland 06.02.2011
Barut Rojda Switzerland 06.02.2011
Seyda Aydar Bern, Switzerland 06.02.2011
Mathiuet Sina Switzerland 06.02.2011
Мікіта Бароўскі Гародня 05.02.2011
Dux Fredy Switzerland 05.02.2011
Аляксандр Іўлеў Мiнск 05.02.2011
Людмила Горда Брест 05.02.2011
dora biasio affoltern a.a., switzerland 05.02.2011
Валентина Соболева Борисов 04.02.2011
Kamiya, Cora Basel, Switzerland 04.02.2011
Geiser Pierre-Alain Romont, Switzerland 03.02.2011
Pürro Tatjana Freiburg, Schweiz 03.02.2011
Алексей Масленников Минск 03.02.2011
Res Diesler Schaffhausen, Switzerland 03.02.2011
Eggmann Marcel Rickenbach Sulz, Switzerland 02.02.2011
Алеся Шарипова Минск 02.02.2011
Castellari raffaela Sessa, Switzerland 02.02.2011
Pierre Courbat Nyon, Suisse 02.02.2011
Suzanne Courbat Nyon, Suisse 02.02.2011
Alfred Le Prevost London, United Kingdom 02.02.2011
Evamaria Nittnaus Ebmatingen, Switzerland 02.02.2011
Ольга Любич Минск 02.02.2011
Florian Egloff CH Zürich switzerland 01.02.2011
CHRISTENSEN, ANNE-SOPHIE COPPET, SWITZERLAND 01.02.2011
Anne ROESSINGER Lausanne, S 01.02.2011
Виталий Рудковский Борисов 01.02.2011
Zbinden yolande fribourg suisse 01.02.2011
Madeleine Sanchez Genève , Suisse 01.02.2011
Наталля Гранькова Менск 01.02.2011
Jansen Christine Frenkendorf, Switzerland 01.02.2011
Gabriella Soldini 6900 Lugano/CH 01.02.2011
Grin Daniel Genève Switzerland 01.02.2011
Lüthi Catherine Langenthal, Schweiz 01.02.2011
Yannic Schmezer Swiss 01.02.2011
Алесь Баразенка Пінск 31.01.2011
бунько ганна львів 31.01.2011
Самойла Iрына Гродна 31.01.2011
Jean-Claude VIGNOLI Geneva, Switzerland 31.01.2011
GARRAUX Stéphane GRÄNICHEN, SWITZERLAND (CH) 31.01.2011
Olmes,Gregor Germany 31.01.2011
Alex Grether zurich ch 31.01.2011
Ebbertz, Christian Düren, Germany 30.01.2011
Rey, Pierre-Antoine Geneva, Switzerland 30.01.2011
Theißen, Nadja Nürnberg, Germany 30.01.2011
Sautier, Charlotte Erlangen, Germany 30.01.2011
Квяткоускi Аляксандар Наваполацк 30.01.2011
Arlova Larysa minsk 30.01.2011
Christian Sandfeld Stäfa, Switzerland 29.01.2011
Daniele Colombo Lugano, Switzerland 29.01.2011
kohler annemarie 9613 mühlrüti swizerland 29.01.2011
Keller Robin Genève, Suisse 29.01.2011
Keller Jean-Pierre Genève, Suisse 29.01.2011
Keller Corinne Genève, Suisse 29.01.2011
Guelich, Rosemarie Winterthur, Switzerland 29.01.2011
Greco Alexandre Switzerland, Geneva 28.01.2011
Noirmain Caroline Switzerland, Geneva 28.01.2011
Людзмiла Мiкалаеуна Чартовiч Мiнск 28.01.2011
Людзмiла Чартовiч Мiнск 28.01.2011
peter seiler interlaken, switzerland 28.01.2011
Silvia Bezoari Switzerland 27.01.2011
Heller Camille Lausanne, switzerland 27.01.2011
Moreira Coralie Neuchâtel,Switzerland 27.01.2011
Шыдэрскi Раман Слонiм 27.01.2011
Brunner-Mettler Susi Hittnau, Schwitzerland 27.01.2011
Stolz Ruth St. Gallen Schweiz 27.01.2011
Mehta Ritu Huettlingen, Switzerland 27.01.2011
Melissa Pacheco Zurich, Switzerland 27.01.2011
Vogel Veronika Boll, Switzerland 27.01.2011
Meier, Jessica Switzerland, St.Gallen 27.01.2011
Ясінскі Арцём Віцебск 27.01.2011
Wieler Angelika Zürich Switzerland 26.01.2011
Эльвiра Ж. Менск 26.01.2011
z'brun ady raron, suisse 26.01.2011
z'brun marlies raron, suisse 26.01.2011
rüttimann simone raron, suisse 26.01.2011
z'brun berno kaluga, russia 26.01.2011
z'brun achim-david z'brun raron, suisse 26.01.2011
Канстанцін Трыпуцень Менск 26.01.2011
Гурыновіч Яўгенія Мінск 26.01.2011
Юлия Гольдюк Минск 26.01.2011
Weber, Marie Germany 26.01.2011
Andrea Cadilek Lucerne, Switzerland 26.01.2011
Падзiла Кацярына Мазыр 26.01.2011
Strässle Edwin Wil SG, Schweiz 26.01.2011
Alex Machado Geneva, Switzerland 26.01.2011
Дар'я Шаткова Мінск 26.01.2011
Björn Peters Hamburg, Germany 26.01.2011
daniela schneider Zürich , schweiz 26.01.2011
ROGGO, ELIANE BASEL, SCHWEIZ 26.01.2011
delez jeng fabienne suisse 26.01.2011
Івінская Аксана Мінск 26.01.2011
Hufschmid Karin Schweiz 26.01.2011
Brunner, Angelika Regensburg, Germany 26.01.2011
Надзея Бажко Баранавічы 25.01.2011
Глеб Сандрас Мінск 25.01.2011
Ellen Sanchez Las Palmas, Spain 25.01.2011
Падсасонная Янiа Менск 25.01.2011
Honkela, Markku Bern, Switzerland 25.01.2011

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