PACE: Belarus Proved Once Again That It Doesn't Meet European Standards

PACE's General Rapporteur has appealed to the Belarusian authorities.

Another death penalty in Belarus continues to hinder the deepening of relations with the Council of Europe. This is stated in the statement of the PACE's General Rapporteur on the abolition of the death penalty, Titus Corlatean, tut.by writes.

The representative of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe deeply regrets about the execution of Aliaksandr Zhylnikau. And urges the Belarusian authorities not to execute the sentence of the second defendant in the case, Viachaslau Sukharko.

"Regardless of the gravity of the crime and the public interest in applying a proportionate sanction, the European democratic standards prohibit the use of the death penalty in all circumstances. Belarus has once again proved that it does not fully comply with the basic European standards, and the use of the death penalty continues to hinder the deepening of relations with the Council of Europe. I repeat my call to the Belarusian authorities to impose a moratorium on the death penalty as a matter of urgency and as a first step towards its abolition. This is the only way forward," - the statement of the PACE representative says.