September 23, Minsk will host a round table organized by the Directorate General of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights and Legal Affairs. At the meeting the leading experts of the Council of Europe will consult the Belarusian authorities on specific issues related to the elimination of obstacles to the abolition of the death penalty in Belarus.
The meeting was also scheduled to discuss issues related to strengthening public support and mobilization of professional groups in support of abolishing capital punishment, the Council of Europe informed.
Participants include members of the parliamentary ad hoc group on capital punishment matters of the National Assembly of Belarus, representatives of the Presidential Administration, the Ministry of Justice, the Prosecutor’s General Office, members of the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court, as well as civil society representatives.
Robert Badinter, former Minister of Justice of France, is also to take part in the discussions. He plans to explain why the death penalty is wrong, why it has been abolished, and why it is important to promote the principle of universal abolition.
The Council of Europe believes, that abolishing the death penalty must be accompanied by the introduction of an adequate prison system and acceptable alternative sanctions, where these do not yet exist, which provide for the highest possible protection of the public and take into account the rights of the victims of crimes without compromising the fundamental principle of respect for human rights.
«The abolition of capital punishment in Belarus would bring the country closer to Council of Europe standards of human rights, consolidate the legal prohibition of capital punishment in Europe and send an important signal to other parts of the world,» the Council of Europe informed.
