Andrei Paluda: retention of the death penalty in Belarus seriously affects its status
How does Belarus plan to solve the death penalty problem within the Eastern Partnership programme?
Belarus – is the only country among the states that participate in the Eastern Partnership and continue to carry out the death penalty.
Coordinator of the campaign “Human Rights Defenders against Death Penalty in Belarus” Andrei Paluda and Liubou Kavaliova participated in the events devoted to the 5th anniversary of the Eastern Partnership programme that took place in late April in Prague.
Andrei Paluda said the following:
- Death penalty in Belarus is a burning issue. The programme in Prague, in which I participated together with mother of the executed Uladzislau Kavaliou – Liubou Kavaliova, was very informative. We raised the topic of the death penalty in our country. We had a public meeting which was attended by many people. However the representatives of the Belarusian delegation did not come and did not participate in this meeting. Still, the meeting was of a great interest among the journalists, politicians and civil activists. The meeting was held within the Eastern Partnership programme. The topic of death penalty was on the agenda in Prague as Belarus participates in the Eastern Partnership and at the same time is the only state within the programme that carries out the death penalty. The retention of the capital punishment seriously affects the status of Belarus. Within the framework of the Eastern Partnership various issues are being raised. Still, it is frequently mentioned that Belarus has the death penalty - it is imposed and carried out, despite the fact that persons who are sentenced to the death penalty appeal to the UN Human Rights Committee and some of the cases are registered. Still, the death sentences are carried out with disregard for the international agreements.
According to Andrei Paluda there have various kinds of meetings during which civil and political activists were interested in how the situation with the death penalty in Belarus can be influenced?
