18/06/2018 Political Affairs and Democracy
Yves Cruchten (Luxembourg, SOC), General Rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on the abolition of the death penalty, and Andrea Rigoni (Italy, ALDE), former rapporteur on the situation in Belarus, have welcomed the recent decision of the Supreme Court of Belarus to suspend and review the death sentences of two men while their appeals are pending.
“We hope that the Supreme Court’s unprecedented decision to suspend the execution of Ihar Hershankou and Siamion Berazhnoy will be a step towards establishing a moratorium on executions and commuting all death sentences,” said the rapporteurs.
“The death penalty is a cruel and inhuman punishment, which is no longer acceptable in Europe. Once again, we reiterate our call on the Belarusian authorities to abolish it de jure and de facto,” the rapporteurs added.