Bialiatski about death penalty: Life of Belarusians in Lukashenka's hands

Another death sentence is pronounced in Belarus.

In Rechytsa on March 18 Homel Regional Court sentenced a 21-old local resident to death, who raped and brutally killed a 19-year-old girl on August 29, 2013. This year this is the first death sentence. Last year three persons were shot by court decision, Zavtra tvoej strany reports.

Belarus remains the only country in Europe and the CIS with the death penalty.

"It is unlikely to look for the vigour of the "thaw". It has no real power", Ales Bialiatski, the Chairman of the Viasna Human Right Center, believes. - Therefore, I propose representatives of the European Union and the Council of Europe to take a look at the real situation in our country and treat Belarusian government by his deeds".

The expert believes the government has recently started practicing liberal rhetoric to improve relations with the West, to get credits and to attract investments. But continuous repressions including the death penalty are still practiced in the country to control the situation.

"Belarusian government insistently wants to prove that authoritarianism has the right to exist in Europe. In my view, these are incompatible things", the former political prisoner emphasizes.

The human rights activist notes the political will of the head of state should abolish the death penalty in Belarus.

The expert believes that Aliaksandr Lukashenka is not in a hurry to abolish death articles, first of all, because they identify today's Belarus with the BSSR and the USSR with their active practice of death penalties.

"Second, it is a signal to all Belarusians that our lives are in Lukashenka's hands. After all, he decides on every case: whether to give a pardon or not", Ales Bialiatski stresses.

According to human rights activists' data 326 persons have been executed from 1990 to 2015. Capital punishment is one of the main obstacles on way to the Council of Europe.

Photo by charter97.org