Capital crimes are: state treason; conspiracy aimed...

Capital crimes are: state treason; conspiracy aimed at seizure of state power; terrorism, terrorist act against a foreigner; sabotage; gangsterism; actions aimed at frustrating order in prisons; premeditated murder under aggravating circumstances; rape by a person who has been convicted for rape before, or entailing serious complications, or of minors under age; attempted murder of a policeman, a civil policeman, a military man or their close relatives; hijacking of an aircraft resulting in deaths or other grave consequences; and many other offenses related to military service applied in wartime President Alexander Lukashenko has been sharply criticized in the West for his authoritarian rule and in January 1997 the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe suspended Belarus' special guest status, also because of its position on the death penalty. According to the 1994 constitution, the next election should have been held in 1999, however President Lukashenko extended his term to 2001 via the November 1996 referendum. Information about the death penalty is classed as a state secret: convict's relatives are not informed of the date or place of execution even after a prisoner is executed. According to Amnesty International, thirty people were reportedly executed in 1999.