MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on death penalty in Belarus, in particular the case of Dzmitry Kanavalau and Uladzislau Kavalyou
14.2.2012
pursuant to Rule 122 of the Rules of Procedure
Helmut Scholz on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0075/2012
B7‑0081/2012
European Parliament resolution on death penalty in Belarus, in particular the case of Dzmitry Kanavalau and Uladzislau Kavalyou
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its earlier resolutions on the situation in Belarus
– having regard to the Resolution 1857 (2012) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on The situation in Belarus
– having regard to the Press Statement of EP President Martin Schulz on 24 January 2012 condemning the death penalty sentence and the letter of the Bureau of the EP Subcommittee on Human Rights on 7 February 2012 to Belarusian President Lukashenko,
– having regard to the statements of Amnesty International on 9 December 2011 and the FIDH on 13 December 2011 demanding the end of executions in Belarus,
– having regard to Rule 122 of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas a large number of opposition figures, including former presidential candidates, journalists and human rights defenders are imprisoned; whereas acts of repression and politically motivated trials against opposition figures and human rights defenders continue to this day;
B. whereas Belarus is the last country in Europe where the death penalty is applied and victims were executed; whereas in July 2011 Aleh Hryshkautsou and Andrei Burdyka were executed, when their cases were still pending before the UN Human Rights Committee
C. whereas Dzmitry Kanavalau and Uladislau Kavaliou were condemned to death on 30 November 2011 by the Supreme Court of Belarus on charges on organising a series of bomb attacks in Vitebsk in 2005, in Minsk in 2008 and again in a Minsk metro station on 11 April 2011, which killed 15 people and injured 200 people;
D. whereas both suspects were arrested and detained on 12 April 2011 and the trial in the Supreme Court of Belarus started on 15 September 2011;
E. whereas conflicting testimony cast doubt on the defendants' involvement in organising the terrorist attacks; whereas observers of the trial reported about serious procedural violations during the preliminary investigation and the judicial examination of the case; whereas neither motive nor exact circumstances of the crime were ever established in Court;
1. strongly condemns all acts of terrorism and demands justice for the victims; rejects the capital punishment as cruel and inhumane under all circumstances;
2. deplores the death sentences against Dzmitry Kanavalau and Uladislau Kavaliou and demands to withhold its implementation;
3. asks for the abolition of the death penalty for all crimes and for the declaration of an immediate moratorium on the imposition and execution of the death penalty without delay;
4. expresses its serious concerns about allegations of serious human rights abuses in the preliminary investigation and judicial examination, including restrictions on the right to defence as well as physical and psychical pressure;
5. demands that the Belarusian authorities open an investigation into the conditions in which the confessions of both suspects were obtained; immediately and unconditionally release and rehabilitate all those detained on political grounds;
6. reminds Belarus that as a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), it has an obligation to prevent torture and other ill-treatment and to ensure that all such allegations are promptly, independently and effectively investigated and that those reasonably suspected of having perpetrated torture and other ill-treatment are brought to justice in accordance with fair trial standards;
7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Belarus Parliament and authorities, the Member States, the Commission and the Council, and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE, the government and Parliament of Russia.