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
- 243
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 243 news items on Belarus, from 1999 to today.
Belarus is the only European country that still carries out death sentences. The method is shooting. Neither the place of execution nor the place of burial is communicated to the families, who learn of it afterwards, in some cases from a certificate.
In recent years the country has widened the list of offences punishable by death. The archive follows sentences, executions and requests for a stay.
Latest news
- OCTOBER 2, 2009BelarusDEATH PENALTY
BELARUS: TOP COURT UPHOLDS DEATH PENALTY FOR MURDER
the Belarus Supreme Court rejected the final appeal against the death sentence given to Vasil Yuzepchuk,
- SEPTEMBER 30, 2009BelarusDEATH PENALTY
ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER URGES BELARUS TO HOLD “PERMANENT HUMAN RIGHTS DISCUSSION”
Belarus should hold a "permanent" public discussion on human rights, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini told reporters in Minsk.
SEPTEMBER 24, 2009BelarusDEATH PENALTYBELARUS: DEATH SENTENCE APPEAL TO BE HEARD BY SUPREME COURT
an appeal against one of the two death sentences imposed this year in Belarus will be heard by the Supreme
- AUGUST 21, 2009BelarusDEATH PENALTY
VASILEVICH DEFENDS CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN BELARUS
the Belarusian Prosecutor General said the grave crimes should be punished by the death penalty.
- AUGUST 18, 2009BelarusDEATH PENALTY
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL LAUNCHES ANOTHER CAMPAIGN AGAINST DEATH PENALTY IN BELARUS
Amnesty International launched another campaign against the death penalty in Belarus.
- AUGUST 3, 2009BelarusDEATH PENALTY
EUROPEAN UNION CONDEMNS ANOTHER DEATH SENTENCE IN BELARUS
the EU criticised the death sentence issued by a Minsk city court to Andrei Zhuk and called on Belarus impose a moratorium on executions.
- JULY 17, 2009BelarusDEATH PENALTY
BELARUS: GUNMAN SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER PAYROLL ROBBERY
a judge of the Minsk Regional Court in Belarus sentenced a 25-year-old man to death
- JULY 16, 2009BelarusDEATH PENALTY
EU EXPRESSES CONCERN ABOUT BELARUS DEATH SENTENCE
the European Union expressed concern about the death sentence that was imposed on Vasil Yazepchuk by the Brest Regional Court on June 29, 2009, in Belarus.
JUNE 29, 2009BelarusDEATH PENALTYBELARUS: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDERING SIX OLD WOMEN IN BREST REGION
the Brest Regional Court in Belarus sentenced a 30 year old stateless man to death for
- JUNE 25, 2009BelarusDEATH PENALTY
BELARUS: JUDICIARY SAID TO BE READY FOR DEATH PENALTY ABOLITION
Belarus’ judicial system is ready to introduce a moratorium on the death penalty, Supreme Court Chairman Valyantsin Sukala told reporters in Minsk.
JUNE 23, 2009BelarusDEATH PENALTYBELARUS: DEATH PENALTY BAN UNEXPECTED AS CONDITION FOR RESTORING SPECIAL GUEST STATUS
Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of
- JUNE 11, 2009BelarusDEATH PENALTY
DEATH PENALTY ABOLITION IN BELARUS DISCUSSED
the issue of death penalty abolition in Belarus is being discussed, Valery Mitskevich, Deputy Head of the Administration of the President of Belarus, told reporters in the House of Representatives of the National Assembly.
JUNE 9, 2009BelarusDEATH PENALTYCOUNCIL OF EUROPE: BELARUS URGED TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY
the Council of Europe's (CE) Deputy Secretary General, Maud de Boer-Buquicchio,
- MARCH 25, 2009BelarusDEATH PENALTY
BELARUS SAYS MOVES TOWARDS DEATH PENALTY MORATORIUM
Belarus is moving closer to a moratorium on the death penalty, a senior judicial official
- MARCH 23, 2009BelarusDEATH PENALTY
BELARUS: TWO AMNESTY EXPERTS ARRIVE IN MINSK TO DISCUSS DEATH PENALTY
two representatives of the global human rights watchdog Amnesty International arrived in Minsk, Belarus, on a four-day visit.
- MARCH 11, 2009BelarusDEATH PENALTY
BELARUSIAN TOP JUDGE SAYS DEATH PENALTY ABOLITION UP TO REFERENDUM
“It is the president and parliament that can initiate abolition of death penalty in Belarus,” the chairman of the Constitutional Court of Belarus, Pyotr Miklashevich, told a news conference.
- MARCH 6, 2009BelarusDEATH PENALTY
MP PROPOSES INTRODUCING MORATORIUM IN BELARUS
the Belarusian authorities are unlikely to agree to abolish the death penalty in the
- JANUARY 27, 2009BelarusDEATH PENALTY
BELARUSIAN HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS TO FIGHT AGAINST DEATH PENALTY
A campaign “Human Rights Activists against Death Penalty” has started in Belarus.
- JANUARY 21, 2009BelarusDEATH PENALTY
POSSIBLE ABOLITION OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT AS BELARUS JOINS COUNCIL OF EUROPE, PROSECUTOR GENERAL
Belarus can abolish the death penalty in its pursuit to join the Council of Europe...
- JANUARY 1, 2009BelarusDEATH PENALTY
Article 24 of the constitution reads that
Article 24 of the constitution reads that "the death penalty...
- OCTOBER 31, 2008BelarusDEATH PENALTY
the Belarusian mass media reported...
the Belarusian mass media reported...
- OCTOBER 28, 2008BelarusDEATH PENALTY
Amnesty International is launching a campaign to have the death penalty in Belarus abolished
Amnesty International is launching a campaign to have the death penalty in Belarus abolished
- OCTOBER 6, 2008BelarusDEATH PENALTY
BELARUSIAN MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDERING YOUTH
at the Homel regional court in Belarus...
- JUNE 20, 2008BelarusDEATH PENALTY
BELARUS. DEATH SENTENCE FOR RAPING, MURDERING NINE-YEAR-OLD BOY
the Homyel Regional Court in Belarus sentenced a 27year old man to death by shooting
- JUNE 6, 2008BelarusDEATH PENALTY
BELARUS. OFFICIALS HINT MORATORIUM A STEP AWAY
Belarus, the last country in Europe to apply the death penalty, will eventually abolish
- APRIL 17, 2008BelarusDEATH PENALTY
BELARUS. LAWMAKER: DEATH PENALTY CANNOT BE SCRAPPED ‘IN ONE GO’
the head of the lower house of Belarus' parliament said that "the death penalty is
- FEBRUARY 6, 2008BelarusDEATH PENALTY
COUNCIL OF EUROPE CONDEMNS BELARUS OVER EXECUTIONS
the Council of Europe, the continent's main rights watchdog, condemned
- FEBRUARY 5, 2008BelarusDEATH PENALTY
BELARUS. THREE MEMBERS OF MAROZAW GANG EXECUTED BY SHOOTING
three members of the Marozaw gang that terrorized the Homyel
- JANUARY 1, 2008BelarusDEATH PENALTY
Article 24 of the constitution reads that
Article 24 of the constitution reads that "the death penalty...
- DECEMBER 20, 2007BelarusDEATH PENALTY
BELARUS: EXECUTION OF ALYAKSANDR SYARHEYCHYK
Amnesty International and the Belarusian Helsinki Committee...