EU urges Belarus to end capital punishment, amid reports of execution
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 8 March 2018 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, EU urges Belarus to end capital punishment, amid reports of execution, 8 March 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b20dcfda.html [accessed 6 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
March 08, 2018 13:34 GMT
By RFE/RL
Kiryl Kazachok in a courtroom in December 2016
The European Union has criticized Belarus for executing convicted murderer Kiryl Kazachok and urged President Alyaksandr Lukashenka's government to abolish capital punishment.
Maja Kocijancic, a spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, said in a statement issued on March 8 that the EU "expects Belarus, the only country in Europe still applying capital punishment, to introduce without delay a moratorium on the death penalty as a first step towards its abolition."
"In light of the execution in Belarus of Kiryl Kazachok, which took place in October 2017 but was brought to the public's attention only now, the European Union again reaffirms its strong opposition to capital punishment in all circumstances," the statement said.
Minsk-based Vyasna (Spring) human rights center said on March 7 that relatives of Kazachok had only been informed in recent days that he had been executed in October.
The court found that Kazachok was drunk when he carried out the killings.
