Belarus May Abolish Death Penalty And Other Amendments To Criminal Law

The existing criminal legislation of Belarus will undergo changes. The “first package” of proposals has already been adopted and approved by the parliament at the end of 2020. The “second package” of amendments, which includes the abolition of the death penalty, is currently in progress. It will be considered in the spring and will likely come into force in 2022.

One of the most important proposals in the “second package” is to exclude capital punishment from the Criminal Code, that is, the death penalty (Article 59 of the Criminal Code). Thus, the deprivation of liberty (life imprisonment Art.58 of the Criminal Code) can become an exceptional measure. If the change is adopted,