‘Secrecy in the penal system in Belarus must end’ – EU recalls its irrevocable opposition to the use of capital punishment

The European Union has learned, courtesy of information from reputable human rights organisation Viasna, that a relative of Viktar Paulau, a detainee on death row in Belarus, was recently denied information about his whereabouts, a press release issued by the European External Action Service on 17 June has said.

According to the communication, the denial of prompt information to relatives has been an indication on previous occasions of a secret execution having been carried out by the authoritarian regime in Belarus, the only European country still using capital punishment.

“The secrecy in the penal system in Belarus must end, and the European Union recalls its irrevocable opposition to the use of capital punishment under any circumstances,” says the press release. “The death penalty is a cruel and inhumane punishment, which fails to act as a deterrent to crime and represents an unacceptable denial of human dignity and integrity.”

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Press release