PACE condemns two new death sentences in Belarus

The Parlamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has condemned two new verdicts of capital punishment issued by a Belarussian court.

“It is time to end this”, a joint statement issued by PACE special rapporteurs Ives Cruchten and Andrea Rigoni reads, concerning putting an end to the use of the death penalty as well as the current situation in Belarus.

“The Parliamentary Assembly again and again has affirmed its absolute rejection of the death penalty, which condemns the act as torturous and inhumane, degrading treatment and is unquestionably the most serious of all human rights violations,” the statement reads.

“We again call upon the Belarusian authorities to join the European family of abolitionists and to implement a moratorium on the death penalty. Nothing in the constitution or legislation of Belarus prevents President Lukashenko or parliament from making this step,” cites TUT.by in the statement.

On 21 July in Mogilyov, two ‘black realtors’ – Igor Gershankov and Semyon Berezhnoy – were sentenced to death by firing squad. Another two individuals involved in the case received long-term prison sentences: Tatyana Gershankova received 24 years, while Bois Kolyesnikov received 22 years and one month.

On the same day, the General Secretary of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland and Press Secretary of the European External Action Service Maya Kochiyanchich, demanded an end and moratorium to the death penalty.

Belarus is the last of the European countries to retain use of the death sentence. However, it is unwilling to change its legislation. Arguing in favor of its use, Aleksandr Lukashenko cited the results of a 20-year-old referendum to participants of a session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE: “We are being called upon to end the death penalty. We hear these suggestions, and more. But not one state can go against the will of the nation, the majority of which voted for its retention [in legislation]. Not one civilized European nation.”