"The Council of Europe has received reports of the execution of two men in Belarus. I firmly condemn these new executions", Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland said in his statement on 21 July. Unfortunately, Belarus remains the only European country that practices the death penalty, despite this Organisation's many efforts to conduct a dialogue on abolition or at least a moratorium. If confirmed, these latest executions, are another important setback to the Council of Europe’s aspiration to bring Belarus closer to European values. I reiterate my call to the authorities in Belarus to put an immediate end to the use of capital punishment.

The Council of Europe firmly maintains its position that death is not justice. This principle is enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and is one of the basic principles, which lays the foundation for the protection of human rights by the Council of Europe. The ongoing policy of self-isolation, harassment of peaceful protesters, the imprisonment of political opponents, and renewed executions, underlines the unwillingness of the Belarus authorities to heed the aspirations of the Belarusian people to become fully part of the European family.