Belarus
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Retentionist
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 0
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 0
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · President Alexander Lukashenko has been sharply criticized...
- News items in the archive
- 241
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
Belarus is classified as Retentionist in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 0 executions in the country, against 0 the year before. The archive holds 241 news items on Belarus, from 1999 to today.
Latest news
- NOVEMBER 29, 2018BelarusDEATH PENALTY
BELARUS EXECUTES TWO CONVICTED MURDERERS
Belarus has executed in recent days two convicted murderers, the human rights group Vyasna (Spring) said.
JUNE 15, 2018BelarusDEATH PENALTYBELARUS - 2 SENTENS SUSPENDED
WHILE APPEALS CONSIDERED
MAY 29, 2018BelarusDEATH PENALTYBELARUS: SUPREME COURT CONFIRMS DEATH SENTENCES FOR ZHYLNIKAU AND SUKHARKO
The Supreme Court upheld the death sentences earlier handed down to Aliaksandr Zhylnikau and Viachaslau Sukharko for the murder of three people.
- MARCH 7, 2018BelarusDEATH PENALTY
RIGHTS GROUP SAYS BELARUS EXECUTED CONVICTED KILLER LAST OCTOBER
A Minsk-based human rights group says that more than four months ago Belarusian authorities executed a man who had been convicted of killing his own children.
- JANUARY 31, 2018BelarusDEATH PENALTY
FIVE DEATH SENTENCES GIVEN IN BELARUS IN 2017
Belarusian courts handed down five death sentences and three life sentences in 2017, Belarusian Supreme Court First Deputy Chairman Valery Kalinkovich said.
- JANUARY 20, 2018BelarusDEATH PENALTY
BELARUS: TWO PERSONS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDERING YOUNG COUPLE
Minsk City Court sentenced two persons to death after a retrial.
- JANUARY 1, 2018BelarusDEATH PENALTY
Article 24 of the constitution reads that
Article 24 of the constitution reads that "the death penalty...
JULY 21, 2017BelarusDEATH PENALTYBELARUS: TWO MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
Belarus' Mahilyow Regional Court sentenced Ihar Hershankow and Syamyon Berazhny to death after they were convicted of six murders linked to a real estate scam.
JULY 1, 2017BelarusDEATH PENALTYBELARUS: DEATH SENTENCE UPHELD IN APPEAL IN SUPREME COURT
On 17 March 2017, 32-year-old Aliaksei Mikhalenya was sentenced to death by the Homel Regional Court of Belarus for two murders, committed with particular cruelty (p. 1, p. 6, p. 16 part 2 of art. 139 of the Criminal Code).
MAY 6, 2017BelarusDEATH PENALTYBELARUS: FIRST EXECUTION CARRIED OUT THIS YEAR
Belarus is believed to have carried out its first execution of the year.
MARCH 17, 2017BelarusDEATH PENALTYBELARUS: FIRST DEATH SENTENCE HANDED DOWN IN 2017
32-year-old unnamed resident of Naroulia town was sentenced to death by the Gomel Regional Court on 17 March, the court’s spokesperson Olga Barsukova told the media.
- JANUARY 1, 2017BelarusDEATH PENALTY
Article 24 of the constitution reads that
Article 24 of the constitution reads that "the death penalty...
- DECEMBER 29, 2016BelarusDEATH PENALTY
Kiryl Kazachok was sentenced to death for murdering his two children.
Kiryl Kazachok was sentenced to death for murdering his two children.
- NOVEMBER 30, 2016BelarusDEATH PENALTY
BELARUS: THREE EXECUTIONS FEARED IN AS MANY WEEKS AMID ‘SUDDEN AND SHAMEFUL PURGE’ OF DEATH ROW
As many as three of the four men on death row in the Belarusian capital Minsk have been executed in a shameful purge since 5 November, Amnesty International revealed today after confirming with local activists.
NOVEMBER 28, 2016BelarusDEATH PENALTYBELARUS: ANOTHER CONVICT EXECUTED – HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS
Death convict Ivan Kulesh has been executed, Andrei Paluda, a coordinator of the campaign Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty in Belarus, reports.
- OCTOBER 4, 2016BelarusDEATH PENALTY
BELARUS: SUPREME COURT CONFIRMS ANOTHER DEATH SENTENCE
the Supreme Court upheld the death verdict handed down to 33-year-old Siarhei Vostrykau in May. This is the third death penalty in Belarus this year.
- MAY 19, 2016BelarusDEATH PENALTY
THIRD BELARUSIAN SENTENCED TO DEATH SINCE JANUARY
А court in Belarus has sentenced a third man to death since January.
MAY 6, 2016BelarusDEATH PENALTYBELARUS: SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE FOR SYARHEI KHMYALEUSKI
The Supreme Court of Belarus has upheld the death sentence passed in February 2016 upon Syarhei
- APRIL 18, 2016BelarusDEATH PENALTY
a 22-year-old prisoner, Siarhei Ivanou, was executed, according to another death convict, Siarhei
a 22-year-old prisoner, Siarhei Ivanou, was executed, according to another death convict, Siarhei
- MARCH 30, 2016BelarusDEATH PENALTY
EUROPEAN UNION: STATEMENT ON THE CONFIRMATION OF A DEATH SENTENCE IN BELARUS
The European External Action Service (EEAS) Spokesperson released this Statement on the confirmation of a death sentence in Belarus:
- FEBRUARY 16, 2016BelarusDEATH PENALTY
BELARUS: TRIPLE MURDERER SENTENCED TO DEATH
Belarus sentenced to death a man convicted of killing three people, the day after the European Union (EU)
- JANUARY 5, 2016BelarusDEATH PENALTY
BELARUS: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
The Minsk Regional Court pronounced this year’s first death sentence in the case of Henadz Yakavitski, a
- JANUARY 1, 2016BelarusDEATH PENALTY
Article 24 of the constitution reads that
Article 24 of the constitution reads that "the death penalty...
DECEMBER 16, 2015BelarusDEATH PENALTYBELARUS: RUSSIAN CITIZEN SENTENCED TO DEATH IN UAE AWAITING EXTRADITION
Pyotr Ivanik, a Russian national, who has been sentenced to death in the United Arab Emirates, is currently
- NOVEMBER 20, 2015BelarusDEATH PENALTY
BELARUS: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH ON MURDER CHARGES
A man was sentenced to death on charges of murder in Belarus, the only nation in Europe that still has capital punishment.
MARCH 18, 2015BelarusDEATH PENALTYBELARUS: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH IN RECHYTSA
the Rechytsa District Court sentenced Siarhei Ivanou, 21, to death on charges of murdering and raping a 19-year-old girl on 29 August 2013.
- JANUARY 1, 2015BelarusDEATH PENALTY
Article 24 of the constitution reads that
Article 24 of the constitution reads that "the death penalty...
NOVEMBER 4, 2014BelarusDEATH PENALTYBELARUS: A MURDER CONVICT EXECUTED
Authorities in Belarus executed a murder convict sentenced to death, reported the unregistered Vyasna (Spring) human rights center in Minsk.
- JUNE 11, 2014BelarusDEATH PENALTY
BELARUS: FOREIGN MINISTER, ‘SOCIETY NOT READY TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY’
in an interview posted on the ministry's official website, Foreign Minister Vladimir Makey said Belarusian
- MAY 14, 2014BelarusDEATH PENALTY
BELARUS: CONVICTED MURDERER REPORTEDLY EXECUTED
Media reports in Belarus say a convicted murderer has been executed.