International human rights organization, Amnesty International, calls on the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, to impose immediate moratorium on death penalty. The organization released the call after March 19, when it knew about the shooting of early sentenced, Andrei Zhuk and Vasily Yuzepchuk.
«In 2009, there was no any capital punishment in Belarus. It’s very deplorable fact that Belarusian authorities made this step, acting against the will of the whole world, which is moving to the abolishment of death penalty», said director of programs in Europe and Central Asia of Amnesty International, Galia Govan.
According to the representative of Amnesty International, both convicts were executed without the possibility of a preliminary meeting with the parents.
«The authorities must give their bodies to relatives, if they wish that. If the relatives do not wish to collect the bodies, then they must be informed about where their relatives are buried», said Galia Govan.
According to human rights activist, the death penalty is an incredibly cruel and inhuman punishment, because it violates the right to life and should be banned, reports IA REGNUM-Belarus.
Andrei Zhuk was sentenced in July 2009 for armed assault and murder of two people, and Vasily Yuzepchuk — in June 2009 for murder of six elderly women.
