New death sentence in Belarus:  EU reaffirms unequivocal opposition to death penalty in all cases

On 19 October, the EU called on Belarus to introduce a moratorium on the use of the death penalty as a first step towards its full abolition, in line with the worldwide trend.

The call came after the Minsk regional Court in Belarus reportedly sentenced to death Alexander Taratuta, convicted of murder.

In a statement released by Peter Stano, Lead Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the EU expressed “its sincere sympathy to the loved ones of the victim and all those affected by his deplorable and brutal crime”.

At the same time, the EU reaffirmed its unequivocal opposition to the death penalty in all cases and in all circumstances. 

“Capital punishment represents the ultimate denial of human dignity, fails to act as a deterrent to crime and makes miscarriages of justice irreversible,” says the press release.

“Belarus is the only country in Europe that still applies the death penalty.”

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Press release