Statement of the Belarusian National Youth Council “RADA” in concern with the death penalty sentence

Statement of the Belarusian National Youth Council “RADA” in concern with the death penalty sentence on the 10th of January, 2020 at an offsite session of the Mogilev Regional Court in Cherikov for two brothers of 19 and 21 years old – Ilya Kostsev and Stanislav Kostsev.

We, the union of twenty three democratic youth organizations of Belarus, being created with the purpose of consolidating of youth organizations and initiatives of Belarus for representation, promotion and defending common interests, exercising right to freedoms of association and other constitutional rights, represented by the Governing Body – the Board of “RADA”, make the following statement:

The Republic of Belarus is the last country in Europe where such a measure of human punishment as a death sentence still exists. RADA believes that one of the main goals of the Belarusian civil society should be to establish a moratorium on killing people on behalf of the state, as well as to provide legal assistance to people sentenced to death.

We insist that the Republic of Belarus fulfil its international obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 1966 and take all measures to ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly Resolution 44/128 of 15 December 1989. 

RADA sincerely supports the campaign of Belarusian and International Human Rights activists “Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty in Belarus” and will continue to inform Belarusian youth about death penalty issue in our country.

Grounding from understanding of the value of human life, we, RADA, ask to commit an act of humanism and replace the death penalty for Ilya and Stanislav Kostsev with long terms or life imprisonment.

Belarusian National Youth Council “RADA”

17.03.2020