Europe condemns Belarus for executing the “Minsk terrorists.” It is echoed by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry’s statement: “Ukraine is known to have consistently supported the ban on capital punishment in Belarus, in accordance with the generally accepted European criteria.” How did the Belarusian public respond to the execution? More on this in the following interview with Andrei POLUDA, coordinator of the Human Rights Watchdog Against the Death Penalty in Belarus, representative of the Viasna Human Rights Center.
“Interestingly, Belarusian society showed a different attitude to capital punishment than 1.5-2 years back. Two convicts were shot by firing squad in July 2011, after two who had been shot in 2010. No such painful public response previously. Today this issue is on everyone’s mind. Representatives of [what is supposed to be] Belarusian civil society say they don’t trust the existing judicial system.”
Belarus is the only country in Europe with capital punishment. How do Belarusians feel about this?
“Our political leadership could have used political will to suspend or ban capital punishment. Well, it is still there. Those ‘upstairs’ often refer to the 1996 referendum when death penalty was on the agenda. Another reason is that every individual is exposed to emotions. However, the state has no right to act on an emotional basis; its every decision should be well-considered and unbiased.”
Does your society believe that the convicts were actually responsible for that act of terrorism?
“I attended the trial which left me and others with more questions than answers. My position doesn’t allow me to assess the performance of the people who ruled that the two be shot by firing squad. All I can say is that we are against capital punishment, and that the shooting of convicts by firing squad in the heart of Europe, in the 21st century, is an act of barbarism. Such actions on the part of law enforcement agencies cause problems for the victims’ relatives. Our law doesn’t say where and when a convict is executed. There is also the ‘death corridor’ which means the period of time between the verdict and execution, with the convict waiting for the prison guards to lead him to his death every day, every night.”
How are you faring as a human rights activist?
“Death penalty is a complicated issue. The relatives of Dmitri Konoval and Vladislav Kovaliov were on our long cooperation list. Every such contact is a shocking experience. Every such case is a serious challenge because you know you’re trying to save someone’s life. If they are guilty, let them serve their prison terms, so long as they stay alive. What made this situation shocking was the fact that those ‘upstairs’ seemed to keep the intrigue. The whole issue was exposed to public debate and we hoped Vladislav Kovaliov stood a good chance of receiving pardon.”
