Human rights defenders stand for immediate introduction of a moratorium on the death penalty in Belarus
On 14 March 2012 Belarusian mass media published the
information that Aliaksandr Lukashenka refused to pardon Uladzislau Kavaliou
and Dzmitry Kanavalau.
The Human Rights Center “Viasna” regrets about the denial of pardon to
Uladzislau Kavaliou and Dzmitry Kanavalau.
We consider the use the use of the death penalty as totally inadmissible. By
their decision the Belarusian authorities demonstrate the non-adherence to the
commonly recognized principles of humanism and value of human life. No crime
can justify the commitment of a murder on behalf of the state.
Belarus is the last country
in Europe and on the post-Soviet space where
death penalty is preserved.
We emphasize that Uladzislau Kavaliou’s relatives filed personal addresses with
calls for pardoning the convict and the UN Human Rights Committee ruled that
the execution of the death penalty was to be suspended until the consideration
of the case.
The Human Rights Center “Viasna” especially emphasizes that representatives of
various religious confessions also supported the pardoning of the death
convicts.
What is also important, a great part of the Belarusian society upheld the
non-usage of the death penalty towards Kavaliou and Kanavalau. There is no
doubt that the upbringing of the society and facilitation of its development
towards the acceptance of the commonly recognized principles of humanism is a
duty of the state. The state mustn’t be guided solely by the position of the
part of the society which upholds this kind of penalty.
Belarus
must share the values which are recognized in the majority of countries of the
world.
The Human Rights Center “Viasna” calls on the Belarusian authorities:
- not to execute the verdict of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus
towards Uladzislau Kavaliou and Dzmitry Kanavalau; and
- to immediately introduce a moratorium on the death penalty on the death
penalty, which would be considered as an act of humanism on the part of the
Belarusian authorities both in Belarus and abroad.
15 March 2012
