PACE condemns two new death sentences in Belarus

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has condemned two new death sentences in Belarus. The Special Rapporteur on the abolition of the death penalty, Yves Kryushtan, and the Chairperson of the Committee on Political Affairs, Ria Omen-Ruyten, also took the floor.

"The death penalty is a cruel and inhuman punishment, which is even more unacceptable in Europe. In addition, the secret that accompanies executions in Belarus is a particularly sad practice, which causes profound psychological distress among families of convicts, "said the statement.

Kryushtan and Omen-Ruyten pointed out that the executions had taken place, despite the fact that the United Nations Human Rights Committee had accepted the convicts' complaints and had asked the Belarusian authorities not to carry out sentences.

"These executions are all the more disappointing as our recent talks with the Belarusian authorities on the issue of the possible abolition of the death penalty have been entirely constructive," the statement said. – The introduction of a moratorium on the death penalty is a question of political will, which does not require large-scale institutional reforms. We once again urge the Belarusian authorities to take all necessary measures to put an end to the application of the death penalty and immediately impose a moratorium. "

On 27 and 28 November, human rights defenders were informed of the execution of two defendants in connection with the case of "black real estate agents" – Semyon Berezhnoy and Igor Gershankov. The exact date of execution is unknown.

On July 21, 2017, the Mogilev Regional Court found defendants in the case of "black real estate agents" Seeds Berezhnoy and spouses Igor and Tatiana Gershankov guilty of murdering and preparing murders, kidnappings and kidnappings. preparations for kidnapping, fraud, theft, extortion, theft or destruction of documents. Gershankovy has also been convicted of drug trafficking or psychotropic substances (storage with no object of sale). Boris Kolesnikov, fourth person involved in this case, has been charged with robbery, complicity in murder and kidnapping. The regional court of Berezhnogo and Gershankova was sentenced to death, Gershankov – to 24 years in prison, Kolesnikov – to 22 years and one month in prison.

On December 20, 2017, the Supreme Court confirmed the sentences of those involved in the case, and their appeals and complaints from their supporters were not satisfied. On June 14, 2018, it was announced that the Vice-President of the Supreme Court had suspended the execution of the death sentences pronounced against Igor Gershankov and Semyon Berezhnoy during the year. review of their complaints.

This year, the UN Human Rights Committee recorded Berezhnoy's individual appeal and sent a request for interim measures to Belarus until the final decision of the committee. Human rights activists hoped that Belarus would decide to suspend the execution of the sentence before considering the appeal, but the authorities have not responded to the request of the United Nations Human Rights Committee. A similar appeal was recorded by the United Nations Human Rights Committee and concerning Gershankov.

The European Union, the Council of Europe and the human rights organization Amnesty International have already condemned the new executions in Belarus.

In 2018, four people were executed in Belarus. Narevlya Alexei Mikhalenya, a resident who died in March 2016, shot dead several convicted residents and Viktor Letov, sentenced for the murder of a cell mate in a penal colony in Glubokoe in 2017.

According to human rights defenders, Alexander Jilnikov and Vyacheslav Sukharko, convicted of the murder of three people, are still under sentence of death.

Byelorussia is the only European country to apply the death penalty. In the last 20 years, more than 400 death row prisoners have been shot dead. Only one convict was pardoned by the president.