Belarus - case of Dzmitry Kanavalau and Uladzislau Kavalyou: moratorium on executions and abolition of the death penalty necessary steps of promised political reforms by Lukashenka.

In a joint statement, MEPs Laima Andrikiene and Eduard Kukan have deplored the unfair trial of Dzmitry Kanavalau and Uladzislau Kavalyou and have urgently called on President Lukashenka to establish an immediate moratorium on the death penalty in Belarus. They have stressed the growing urgency for immediate action, as both condemned could be executed at any moment without warning.

The Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus sentenced Dzmitry Kanavalau and Uladzislau Kavalyou to death for committing terrorist attacks in 2005 in Vitebsk, in 2008 in Minsk, and in the Minsk metro in April of 2011. "We strongly deplore the decision of the Belarus Supreme Court which has condemned Dzmitry Kanavalau and Uladzislau Kavalyou to death. The guilt of these two young men has not been proven and even relatives of the victims have serious doubts that Kanavalau and Kavalyou are guilty of committing this crime", said Lithuanian MEP Laima Andrikiene and Slovakian MEP Eduard Kukan.

The death sentence has caused a large wave of discontent and criticism in the European Union.

Following the meeting in the European Parliament in Brussels earlier this week with Lyubou Kavalyouva, the mother of one of the sentenced men Uladzislau Kavalyou, Ms Andrikiene added: "There are facts showing that prosecutors and the Belarus Supreme Court held an unfair trial and intentionally disregarded important evidence indicating the innocence of the two men: torture during the interrogations of both men, unclear and tampered video, no evidence identifying Dzmitry Kanavalau, no traces of explosive material were found on the clothes or bodies of the men. Moreover, all the important evidence that the prosecution referred to during the trial was destroyed immediately after the Supreme Court announced its decision."

"We urge President Lukashenka to grant clemency to Dzmitry Kanavalau and Uladzslau Kavalyou. This step would show that the President of the Republic of Belarus is ready for the recently-announced political reforms, which must start by the abolition of the death penalty and the moratorium on executions as the first step towards the abolition of capital punishment in the country", highlighted the MEPs.

They also noted that the EU has a very strong position on the death penalty as an absolutely unacceptable way of punishment for any crime committed. Belarus remains the only country in Europe which exercises the death penalty and still carries out executions.

MEPs Laima Andrikiene and Eduard Kukan are both members of the EPP Group in the European Parliament and Members of its Subcommittee on Human Rights.