EU statement on two upheld death sentences in Belarus
The Supreme Court of Belarus has rejected the appeal on 20 December for two death sentences pronounced earlier in July for Ihar Hershankow (Ihar Hershankou) and Syamyon Berazhny (Siamion Berazhny).
The European Union expects the authorities of Belarus to commute these two sentences to a non-capital sentence and to adopt a moratorium on all executions.
The EU holds a principled position against the death penalty and is opposed to the use of capital punishment under any circumstances. This strong and unequivocal position was reiterated to the Belarusian authorities at the 4th meeting of the EU-Belarus Coordination Group on 19-20 December in Brussels. The death penalty does not serve as a deterrent to crime, and errors, inevitable in any legal system, become irreversible
