Urgent Action: 4th Death Sentence Issued in Belarus Before New Year

<div style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYoR0o8nuLiSYZ7VuJz74mLhYjZdhYRDX0YCzmy1KlIIarmSsGEdPK4xbwu-fIHMmSPuc6Pqsz6W0qBqFnyC7-x6ENgqA7kflgKlDd_au9ZojWU3hHfIh4U2gSAp7R_zYonliizTQTgMc/s1600/Kiryl+Kazachok.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt=" Kiryl Kazachok" border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYoR0o8nuLiSYZ7VuJz74mLhYjZdhYRDX0YCzmy1KlIIarmSsGEdPK4xbwu-fIHMmSPuc6Pqsz6W0qBqFnyC7-x6ENgqA7kflgKlDd_au9ZojWU3hHfIh4U2gSAp7R_zYonliizTQTgMc/s400/Kiryl+Kazachok.jpg" title=" Kiryl Kazachok" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kiryl Kazachok</td></tr></tbody></table>Kiryl Kazachok was sentenced to death by the Gomel Regional Court, in southeast Belarus, on 28 December 2016. His was the 4th death sentence to be issued in Belarus in 2016.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kiryl Kazachok was sentenced to death by the Gomel Regional Court, in southeast Belarus, on 28 December. He was found guilty of killing his two children on 31 January 2016. He called the police following the incident, before trying to kill himself.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">His lawyer will appeal the death sentence. If the sentence is upheld by the Supreme Court, Kiryl Kazachok will appeal directly to the President for clemency. It is highly probable that the sentence will be upheld and his clemency denied, leaving him at risk of execution shortly afterwards.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">No warning is given of the date or time of execution and no final meeting with relatives is granted. Death row inmates are executed with a shot to the back of the head. In accordance with Belarusian law, their bodies are not returned to their families for burial, nor is the location of the burial site disclosed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Belarus is the only country in Europe and Central Asia which continues to use the death penalty.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception. It violates the right to life, as proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.</div><br /><h3>TAKE ACTION</h3><br />Write a letter, send an email, call, fax or tweet:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">-- Urging President Alyaksandr Lukashenka to commute the death sentence of Kiryl Kazachok and all those on death row in Belarus;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">-- Calling on the President to establish an immediate moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">-- Stress that whilst we are not seeking to downplay the seriousness of the crime, research shows that the death penalty does not deter crime more than other forms of imprisonment and is the ultimate denial of human rights.</div><br />Contact these 2 officials by 24 February, 2017:<br /><br /><b>President</b><br />Alyaksandr Lukashenka<br />Vul. Karla Marksa 38<br />220016 Minsk, Belarus<br />Fax: +375 17 226 06 10<br />+375 17 222 38 72<br />Email: <a href="mailto:contact@president.gov.by">contact@president.gov.by</a><br />Salutation: Dear President Lukashenka<br /><br /><b>Chargé d'Affaires</b><br />Mr. Pavel Shidlovsky<br />Embassy of Belarus<br />1619 New Hampshire Ave NW<br />Washington DC 20009<br />Fax: 1 202 986 1805<br />Phone: 1 202 986 1606 -OR- 1 202 986 9420<br />Email: <a href="mailto:usa@mfa.gov.by" target="_blank">usa@mfa.gov.by</a><br />Salutation: Dear Mr. Shidlovsky<br /><br />Source: Amnesty International USA, January 14, 2017<br /><br /><br /><h2>Belarus: Yet Another Death Sentence</h2><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">“Yet, another death sentence was handed down this week in Belarus, to Mr Kiryl Kazachok. This sentence, which follows the execution of four persons earlier this year, goes against the commitments made by Belarusian authorities to consider the introduction of a moratorium on the death penalty”, – says spokesperson statement on the European External Action Service (EEAS), reacting on the sentencing of Kazachok, convicted for murder of his own children Kira (9) and Vlad (17). After committing the crime, Kazachok went to his former spouse and confessed to her. According to the prosecution the double murder was meant as a revenge to the mother of the children, who intended to divorce Kazachok.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“The European Union opposes capital punishment in all cases. It fails to act as a deterrent to crime and represents an unacceptable denial of human dignity. We call on Belarus, the only country in Europe still applying capital punishment, to join a global moratorium on the death penalty as a first step towards its abolition” – continues the text of the EEAS statement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“Steps taken by Belarus to respect universal fundamental freedoms, rule of law and human rights, including on the death penalty, will remain key for the shaping of the EU’s future policy towards”.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Today Belarus remains the only European country with the capital punishment. During the last 20 years around 400 convicts were executed, and only one of them received the clemency of the President. According to Belarus authorities the number of citizens favorable to abolish death penalty has increased, however they are far from being a majority.</div><br />Source: Brussels Diplomatic, December 29, 2917<br /><br /><br /><h2>E.U. reacts to new death sentence in Belarus</h2><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45nU0lY7nAgnMDfsdeemW-sy0mpnb_XJKWzQpsxELDc17CWi3xS6wwqe8J2t0SU_XMjA0i5cfQ90-kLu8JEqnxDn4_3GR9lFNilopKq1zLkbzUrrsP7LTxz1UwCIGaD1v4hIVTtmzagM/s1600/european-flags-outside-european-commission-headquarters-brussels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45nU0lY7nAgnMDfsdeemW-sy0mpnb_XJKWzQpsxELDc17CWi3xS6wwqe8J2t0SU_XMjA0i5cfQ90-kLu8JEqnxDn4_3GR9lFNilopKq1zLkbzUrrsP7LTxz1UwCIGaD1v4hIVTtmzagM/s320/european-flags-outside-european-commission-headquarters-brussels.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Statement by the Spokesperson on a death sentence in Belarus</b></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Yet another death sentence was handed down this week in Belarus, to Mr Kiryl Kazachok.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This sentence, which follows the execution of four persons earlier this year, goes against the commitments made by Belarusian authorities to consider the introduction of a moratorium on the death penalty. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The European Union opposes capital punishment in all cases. It fails to act as a deterrent to crime and represents an unacceptable denial of human dignity. We call on Belarus, the only country in Europe still applying capital punishment, to join a global moratorium on the death penalty as a first step towards its abolition. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Steps taken by Belarus to respect universal fundamental freedoms, rule of law and human rights, including on the death penalty, will remain key for the shaping of the EU's future policy towards Belarus.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Source: European Union, External Action, December 29, 2016</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">⚑ | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: <a href="mailto:deathpenaltynews@gmail.com">deathpenaltynews@gmail.com</a>.</div><br /><table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; border: 0px solid rgb(255, 204, 0); color: black; text-align: center; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr> <td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/WebDPN/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL4sspwgGptzvuHVklum5TwxKppRN-lIC5TN8RLZFq_B4ZOtBrX1ssXPNKQ6XpSyQFRJRtVQN45HMkpt3VX0JtOW0TovwxZAurG-AV6gh98IAXo7Ip6QlpkZr9WrM3_m943Mwy-gGxBAY/s1600/Find+us+Facebook.jpg" /></a></div></td> <td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://twitter.com/WebDPN" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULIPEaT_P6oIauxAZd17XRRxljesDLS7iIjdQXT7Xct99uHeohx4IYmiAB6S044gTjMDGSy50sL2vDzOyPZ-3vJj9zwcYQ2rgzJh9v1-QDiunKAQtLLLqJ83s38qN3HABxGIC8GsIOD0/s1600/Find+us+twitter.jpg" /></a><span id="goog_1427852018"></span><span id="goog_1427852019"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a></div></td> </tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><b>Opposed to Capital Punishment? 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Urgent Action: 4th Death Sentence Issued in Belarus Before New Year

Kiryl Kazachok Kiryl Kazachok was sentenced to death by the Gomel Regional Court, in southeast Belarus, on 28 December 2016. His was the 4th...

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Iranian Authorities Carried Out Amputation Sentences On Two Prisoners On Christmas Day

<div style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0snUwrS9YqjctZDdsbUj3svmlZHTcMO-heLhXRmwpJENfq93cpuRhAmBSycavHdTci19riCDyVTYW6wh2l7_GiV217VhtA0C5vakrH0KaOVLDs4SXBdSxGAwYnwuE0iWGCbhlmIaGSA4/s1600/public+amputation+of+a+hand+IRAN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Judicial amputation in Iran: Barbaric and medieval punishments" border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0snUwrS9YqjctZDdsbUj3svmlZHTcMO-heLhXRmwpJENfq93cpuRhAmBSycavHdTci19riCDyVTYW6wh2l7_GiV217VhtA0C5vakrH0KaOVLDs4SXBdSxGAwYnwuE0iWGCbhlmIaGSA4/s400/public+amputation+of+a+hand+IRAN.jpg" title="Judicial amputation in Iran: Barbaric and medieval punishments" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Judicial amputation in Iran: Barbaric and medieval punishments</td></tr></tbody></table>Four fingers of the right hand of two prisoners were amputated in an Iranian prison on Christmas day, December 25, 2016.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">IRAN HUMAN RIGHTS (DEC 26, 2016): Amputation verdicts on two prisoners were carried out in the prison of Urmia (Northwestern Iran), Sunday December 25. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">According to close sources the two prisoners who are brothers, were sentenced to prison and amputation of four fingers of the right hand because of a robbery they allegedly committed in 2011. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The prisoners were identified as Faramarz and Majid Bigham and the amputations were carried out in the yard of Urmia prison.<br /><br />According to sources, the other prisoners were encouraged to watch the amputations.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Iran Human Rights (IHR) strongly condemns the medieval punishments practiced by the Iranian authorities and calls for the international condemnation and ban of such punishments.</div><br />Several weeks ago <a href="https://iranhr.net/en/articles/2698/" target="_blank">a prisoner was blinded in a prison near Tehran</a>. <br /><br />Source: <a href="https://iranhr.net/en/" target="_blank">Iran Human Rights</a>, December 26, 2016<br /><br /><br /><h2>Iran: 40 Girls and Boys Arrested in a Night Party</h2><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">NCRI - In a continuing wave of repression and harassment of people in their private and home parties, on Saturday the Iranian regime’s police chief in Orumiyeh announced that 40 girls and boys were arrested at a night party in Orumiyeh (northwest Iran). In addition, six people were arrested in southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan for cyberspace activity.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">According to state-run Rokna news agency, on December 24, police chief in Orumiyeh said: “After the Police Emergency Center 110 received reports on a night party held in a neighborhood of Orumiyeh, law enforcement officers immediately took action and arrested 40 people.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Meanwhile, police officers and security agents in Sistan and Baluchistan arrested and detained at least six citizens in this province. According to the police, by coordinating with Fata Police (Cyber-Police), the repressive forces arrested these people because of their cyberspace and socials media activities.</div><br /><h3>Party in Tehran Ended up With Arrest of All Participants</h3><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">According to a report by the state-run Fars news agency affiliated to the Iran regime’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), 25 people including an actor and an author of satirical programs were arrested in Tehran after the police and security forces raided a party in the capital city.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The IRGC news agency wrote in its twitter account: “An actor and a writer of satirical programs identified as ‘A. J.’ were also among the arrestees after the police and law enforcement officers with ‘judicial warrant’ raided the ceremony in Tehran and arrested the participants.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Iranian regime's (suppressive) institutions have recently become more sensitive and more attentive to the private lives of actors and athletes following their presence in the social networks and increase in their activities, and the scope of dealing with them has also increased.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For many years, particularly in recent years, numerous instances of the arrest and detention of actors and athletes in Iran for their presence and participation in private parties and ceremonies have been reported.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Wednesday May 4, 2016, state-run Mizan news agency affiliated to the regime’s Judiciary had reported the arrest of seven renowned actors in a “night party.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the same month (May 2016), Abbas Jafari Dowlatâbâdi, Tehran's so-called Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor had warned athletes and artists against their participation in what he called "vulgar meetings that are contrary to the law.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In addition, Gholam Hossein Esmaili, Judiciary Chief of Tehran Province, said that “Cultural Surveillance” of athletes and artists should be increased and suggested that the deputy of Judiciary’s crime prevention department should enter this field.</div><br />Source: <a href="http://ncr-iran.org/en/" target="_blank">NCRI</a>, December 26-27, 2016<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">⚑ | Report an error, an omission; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: <a href="mailto:deathpenaltynews@gmail.com">deathpenaltynews@gmail.com</a>.</div><br /><table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; border: 0px solid rgb(255, 204, 0); color: black; text-align: center; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr> <td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/WebDPN/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL4sspwgGptzvuHVklum5TwxKppRN-lIC5TN8RLZFq_B4ZOtBrX1ssXPNKQ6XpSyQFRJRtVQN45HMkpt3VX0JtOW0TovwxZAurG-AV6gh98IAXo7Ip6QlpkZr9WrM3_m943Mwy-gGxBAY/s1600/Find+us+Facebook.jpg" /></a></div></td> <td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://twitter.com/WebDPN" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULIPEaT_P6oIauxAZd17XRRxljesDLS7iIjdQXT7Xct99uHeohx4IYmiAB6S044gTjMDGSy50sL2vDzOyPZ-3vJj9zwcYQ2rgzJh9v1-QDiunKAQtLLLqJ83s38qN3HABxGIC8GsIOD0/s1600/Find+us+twitter.jpg" /></a><span id="goog_1427852018"></span><span id="goog_1427852019"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a></div></td> </tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><b>Opposed to Capital Punishment? 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Iranian Authorities Carried Out Amputation Sentences On Two Prisoners On Christmas Day

Judicial amputation in Iran: Barbaric and medieval punishments Four fingers of the right hand of two prisoners were amputated in an Iranian ...

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