EU one more time reiterated Belarus to introduce a moratorium on death penalty

The European Union condemned another death sentence handed down on February 15 and one more time called on Belarusan authorities to introduce the moratorium on death penalty.

The statement published at the website of the European External Action Service notes that a death sentence was handed down on 16 February 2016 to Sergei Khmelevsky by a Minsk Regional Court convicted of a serious crime. The EU extends “the deepest sympathy” to the family and friends of the victims, noting, however, that the convict’s legal right to appeal should be fully guaranteed.

“The EU opposes the use of death penalty, a cruel punishment, which fails to act as a deterrent, - the statement emphasizes. – We call on Belarus, the only country in Europe still applying capital punishment, to join a global moratorium as a first step towards the abolition of death penalty.”

“Commuting the sentences of persons sentenced to death and launching a public debate on the death penalty with Belarusian society would be an important move in this regard,” - the EU notes.

Let us inform that the 31-year-old man born in the village of Machulishchy near Minsk was initially sentenced to life imprisonment. However, the prosecution appealed the sentence and the Minsk Regional Court sentenced Mr. Khmelevsky to death.

This is the second death sentence in Belarus since the start of 2016. Notably, it was handed down on February 15, on a day when the EU lifted most sanctions against Belarus.

Belarus is the only European and post-Soviet country that still uses the death penalty. This is the reason why Belarus also remains the only European state that is not a member of the Council of Europe. A total of 406 people are known to have been sentenced to death in the history of independent Belarus. Only one of these convicts was pardoned, naviny.by informs.