EU called upon Belarus to introduce moratorium on death penalty once again

Belarus is urged to join global moratorium on death penalty as the first step to its full abolition.

The European Union has sharply criticized Belarus yet again, the only European country that applies capital punishment, for sentencing a man to death.

In its statement issued on March 19, the EU said that a court in the southeastern city of Homel sentenced Siarhei Ivanou convicted of murder and rape to death the previous day.

The EU expressed its "deepest sympathy of the victim of these crimes," is said in the statement by the Spokesperson on a death sentence in Belarus Federica Mogherini.

“We are conscious of the serious nature of the crimes for which Siarhei Ivanou was convicted and extend our deepest sympathy to the family of the victim of these crimes. Nevertheless, the European Union opposes capital punishment in all cases as it cannot be justified under any circumstances. The death penalty is a cruel and inhuman punishment, which fails to act as a deterrent and represents an unacceptable denial of human dignity and integrity”.

In this connection, “the European Union urges Belarus, the only country in Europe still applying capital punishment, to join a global moratorium on the death penalty as a first step towards its universal abolition”.