Belarus: The new death penalty law is the ultimate human rights violation

WhatsAppWhatsAppFacebookFacebookTwitterTwitterPinterestPinterestRedditRedditGmailGmailShareShare

EuropeEurope Europe – Belarusian authorities have passed a new law that makes “attempts to carry out acts of terrorism” punishable by death. Amnesty International’s Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Marie Struthers, said:

Belarus is the only country in Europe and Central Asia that still uses the death sentence, the cruelest, most inhumane, and demeaning punishment in the world.

This law, which violates Belarus’ international obligations, is the latest example of Belarusian authorities’ flagrant disregard for human rights.

It’s especially concerning because the Belarusian authorities have a dangerously ambiguous definition of terrorism, and terrorism-related accusations have been used to persecute political protest. Authorities have long associated peaceful protest and free expression with violent crimes, and this law is a disturbing indication that they are intensifying their repression and raising the stakes to dangerous new heights.

In Belarus, opponents of the regime now face the risk of being shot if they dare to speak out, amid a suffocating restrictive political climate. We demand that Belarus end its brutal, inhumane, and degrading treatment of political opponents and human rights campaigners once and for all.

Related Posts

Background

On May 18, President Alyaksandr Lukashenka signed new law introducing the death sentence for “attempts to carry out acts of terrorism.” The law will take effect 10 days after it is published.

The Belarusian parliament enacted a measure in April broadening the applicability of the death penalty, which is said to be in response to recent sabotage attacks on the country’s railway network.

Opponents of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are said to have exploited such occurrences as a covert tactic to prevent Russian military stationed in Belarus from crossing the border.

Hundreds of political activists have already been charged with “attempted terrorism,” according to the Viasna Human Rights Center. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, an exiled Belarusian opposition leader and Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s major rival in the hotly contested 2020 presidential elections, is one of them.

The death penalty is now used in Belarus to punish serious murder, but it is also a legal punishment for acts of terrorism that result in death.

About G.Morrison

Discover the world of workers' rights through the lens of G. Morrison. With a commitment to unbiased reporting, G. Morrison crafts narratives that unveil the human stories behind labor struggles, advocating for a fair and just global workplace.

G.Morrison

Discover the world of workers' rights through the lens of G. Morrison. With a commitment to unbiased reporting, G. Morrison crafts narratives that unveil the human stories behind labor struggles, advocating for a fair and just global workplace.

Recent Posts

Alberta Fabrication Workers Secure 15% Raise and Improved Benefits in New Contract

Alberta Custom Pipe Bending & Mfg. Fabrication workers have won a major victory in their collective bargaining agreement, which locks…

June 2, 2025

Miss World Humanitarian Award: Sonu Sood Celebrates the Spirit of Migrants and the Marginalized

Bollywood actor and philanthropist Sonu Sood has been awarded the Miss World Humanitarian Award and said that he was recognising…

June 2, 2025

The Silent Threat: How the Muslim Brotherhood Challenges France’s Secular Identity and Women’s Rights

A new report commissioned by the French government has revealed a plan by the Muslim Brotherhood to undermine France’s secular…

June 2, 2025

Japan Enforces Landmark Worker Heat Safety Law – Here’s What Employers Should Know About the Fine

Japan has passed a historic law that requires employers to take strong action to protect workers from heat illness or…

June 2, 2025

Quiet Vacation: 37% Millennials dominate this growing workplace trend

The trend of ‘Quiet Quitting’ is bygone, now the employees are eager for ‘Quiet Vacation’, a growing trend among staff…

May 31, 2025

World Leaders call for freedom of detained UN, NGO Staff in Yemen

The series of arbitrary detentions by the Houthi authorities has been under debate among the world leaders and human rights…

May 31, 2025