Former Parliament Speaker Mechyslau Hryb: 13 people were convicted and one executed for crimes committed by maniac Mikhasevich (video)
During the filming of “Cause of Death – “, activists of the campaign “Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty” met with public and political figure, Honored Lawyer of Belarus Mechyslau Hryb.
Mechyslau Hryb told about the irreversibility of the death penalty and a miscarriage of justice, which cannot be corrected after the execution:
“I worked in the police for 36 years. I was in various positions. And one of my posts was head of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Vitsebsk Regional Executive Committee. I had to work there in the most difficult time when maniac Mikhasevich committed his crimes in the Vitsebsk region. During the investigation of this case, it was discovered that for the crimes committed by Mikhasevich over 15 years 13 people were illegally sentenced to long terms of imprisonment, and one of them, Tsiarenia was executed by verdict of the Vitsebsk Regional Court. The man was shot for nothing. And if I had not previously thought about the death penalty, which was with us in the Soviet Union, after these miscarriages of justice, which I saw with my own eyes, I came to the conclusion that it is wrong, no man shall deprive any person of life.”
Speaking about refusals to return the body of the executed persons to his relatives, Mr. Hryb said:
“All this comes from the times of the Soviet power, as it used to be, so it has remained in our country. If you think about it, today it is unclear why the body is not given to the family. I do not know if there are any other countries where there such savage manners. Although everyone says that we are in the middle of Europe, and geography proves it. But it is some terrible savagery! Why is it done? I cannot answer this, I cannot find it for myself.”
Mechyslau Hryb stresses that the death penalty is not effective for the prevention of new crimes, as in time of the offense the offender does not think about the possible death penalty. According to Mechyslau Hryb, the most important thing about punishment is its inevitability.
