BELARUS. DEATH PENALTY BILL PASSES FIRST READING IN PARLIAMENT

the Belarusian National Assembly's House of Representatives (parliament's lower house) passed the first reading of the amendments to the Penal Code that provide for the temporary use of capital punishment in Belarus. The draft law stated that "the use of capital punishment by execution is permissible for some grave crimes dealing with premeditated murder under aggravating circumstances (until the abolishment of the death penalty)".
The director of the National Bill Drafting Centre, Valeryy Mitskevich, told the lower house when presenting the bill that it brought criminal legislation into line with the provisions of the constitution.
Article 24 of the constitution reads that "the death penalty can be applied as an exceptional measure of punishment for grave crimes in accordance with the law and only under court sentences until it is abolished". Belarus remains the only country in Europe where death sentences are executed.