Is Belarus ready for death penalty moratorium?
Death penalty was abolished in all European countries -- it is a universal decision that is independent of political or cultural features of a particular state. The similar decision is expected from Belarus, which will give a new impetus to relations between Brussels and Minsk, said EU Special Representative for Human Rights, Stavros Lambrinidis during the international conference "Death Penalty: overcoming contradictions", which takes place in Minsk.
The introduction of the moratorium requires leadership. And we would very much welcome the manifestations of leadership on the part of Belarus to introduce a moratorium on the death penalty. As a result of a moratorium or abolishing the death penalty, the relationship of such country with the European Union improved.
Now, argues further representative of the EU for Human Rights, when the sanctions against Belarus have been canceled, it is important to "make use of this window of opportunity to improve our relations to solve the problems of the death penalty and to draw attention to a number of issues in the field of human rights." He adds that, according to numerous studies, the presence of the death penalty in no way affects the improvement of the crime situation in the country: serious crimes occur everywhere, but criminals can be punished with a life sentence not to become murderers, carrying out the death penalty.
The sanctions that were originally imposed unreasonablly and unfairly are irrelevant to the question of the death penalty, said Deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus Valyantsin Rybakou. According to him, the issue of a moratorium on the death penalty in our country is not a subject for negotiation.
Valyantsin Rybakou: "The attitude to what the politicians do somewhere behind closed doors may be different, but, believe me, any trade, especially on such an issue, is out of the question. And nobody's going to bargain, to change some values to other values or our ideas on how we need to live on any promises, the abolition of any sanctions or threats of introducing any additional sanctions."
According to Rybakou, now the issue of the death penalty is actively debated in Belarusian society and the Deputy Minister is sure that it is the Belarusian society, the Belarusian people that will decide what to do with the punishment.
The House of Representatives MP, Chairman of the working group on the death penalty as a punishment tool Mikalai Samaseika adds that it is not necessary to hold a referendum to impose a moratorium.
Mikalai Samaseika: "For a moratorium, the referendum is not necessary -- a political decision is enough. And according to the decision of the Constitutional Court, this issue can be resolved by either the president or the parliament. But if today we bring the issue to a vote in the oval room, I can not guarantee that a positive result will be obtained..."
Conference on the death penalty continues, so does the dialogue of politicians, social activists and experts. But it is important that all this gave the result, says the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Parliament of the Czech Republic Karel Schwarzenberg.
If we constantly engage in a dialogue with no result, nothing good will come out of it. To top all that, on the day of the lifting of sanctions, another death sentence was passed in Belarus. And I regard it as the greatest disrespect for Europe, for European values.
