udf.by
17.07.2019 / 15:59
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Why Belarus Doesn’t Compromise With EU To Abolish Death Penalty
In Belarus, criminals are executed for the most heinous and brutal crimes. Since 2007, there were less than five death sentences per year.
However, the very existence of capital punishment distinguishes Belarus not only from the rest of Europe but also from other post-USSR countries.
The European Union and the Council of Europe don’t neglect a single death sentence in Belarus, usually reacting with the statements of condemnation.
For many European capitals, the death penalty is a dark stain on Belarus’s reputation that seriously hinders the development of mutual relations.
The death penalty doesn’t prevent the EU from building relations with other countries, such as China, Japan, or the bastion of democracy – the United States.
When the argument is brought up in a conversation with Western diplomats, one always hears the same mantra: “this is Europe, and there is no place for the death penalty.”
The EU insists on the moratorium not only because of some European values but also because this concession is politically convenient, it is very easy to record.
It’s not clear how to measure freedom of speech or assembly, while the death penalty – either you have one or you don’t.
