BelTa bericht dat Wit-Russische parlementsleden bereid zijn om te praten over een moratorium voor de doodstraf. Zij baseren dit op een gesprek met Valery Ivanov, vice-voorzitter van het parlement en hoofd van de delegatie van Wit-Rusland bij Parlementaire Assemblee van de Raad van Europa (PACE).
The Vice-Speaker plans to discuss the cooperation between Belarus and the Council of Europe at the PACE summer session in Strasbourg on June 23. He underlined that our country is interested in a constructive dialogue and pragmatic cooperation with this organization.
Valery Ivanov reminded that an Information Office of the Council of Europe was opened in Minsk on June 8. During the meeting between representatives of the Council of Europe and the Belarusian parliament, the sides considered a possibility to impose a moratorium on death penalty in Belarus and abolish the capital punishment in the future.
Valery Ivanov stated that Belarus respects the Council of Europe’s position towards the abolishment of death penalty. “We understand that the abolition of capital punishment is essential for Belarus to accede to the Council of Europe,” he said.
“Belarus has been taking consecutive steps to restrict the administration of this punishment. In particular, the Criminal Code has been reviewed, the number of articles allowing for capital sentences has been halved. There is no article in the Criminal Code of Belarus that would not provide for alternative punishment,” Valery Ivanov said. Belarus does not allow capital punishment for juveniles under 18, women and men who reach 65 by the day of the verdict. Death penalty is carried our rarely for especially grave crimes. In 2008 only two death sentences were given, he said
Abolishing death penalty is quite a sensitive issue in Belarus, Valery Ivanov said. He reminded, at the nationwide referendum in 1996 more than 80% of Belarusians votes against abolition of death penalty and the authorities cannot ignore this fact.
“Death penalty is envisaged in the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus as a temporary measure. The National Assembly will continue paying due attention to this issue so that the death penalty moratorium could be considered some time in the future