Death Penalty in Belarus

Capital punishment is a legal penalty in Belarus. It carried out at least 4 executions in 2016.

It has been a part of the country since gaining independence from the Soviet Union. The current national constitution prescribes this punishment for "grave crimes." Later laws have clarified the specific crimes for which capital punishment can be used. Capital punishment can be imposed for crimes that occur against the state or against individuals. A few non-violent crimes can also be punishable by death. Belarus is the only UN member state in Europe that continues to carry out the death penalty.

Following a referendum on the issue, the Belarusian government took steps to change the way capital punishment is imposed and carried out. International organisations, such as the United Nations, have criticised the methods Belarus uses when carrying out capital punishment. The use of capital punishment is one factor keeping the country out of the Council of Europe.

Article 24 of the Constitution of Belarus states that:

As per the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus, capital punishment can be imposed for the following acts:

Most of the death penalty convictions were for murder committed under aggravating circumstances. Court proceedings involving capital cases must involve a "collegial consideration," consisting of one judge and two People's assessors. The People's assessors are chosen from the general population, similar to the jury system.

Over the years, the number of offenses eligible for the death penalty and the type of convicts eligible for it have been reduced. In 1993 four economic crimes that would have resulted in death sentences during the Soviet era were removed from the list of capital offenses by a vote of parliament and were replaced by prison terms without parole. Although the total number of categories of crime qualifying for capital punishment declined during this time, Presidential Decree No. 21, issued on 21 October 1997, added "terrorism" to the list of capital offenses. When the Criminal Code was updated in 1999, the number of capital offenses was further reduced. This reduction was assisted by the introduction of life imprisonment in December 1997.

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