Abolish the death penalty

Action title:  Belarus Appeal for action description:  In Belarus, prisoners are told they will be executed just moments before their death sentence is carried out. They are killed with a bullet to the back of the head. Their families and lawyers are not informed until weeks or even months after the execution. Their bodies are not handed over to their families and the burial site is kept secret. About action:  After a year without executions, the Belarusian authorities executed two men in 2010 and sentenced three people to death. So far in 2011, at least one man has been executed, and two have been sentenced to death.Amnesty International joined Human Rights Centre Viasna and the Belarusian Helsinki Committee in a petition to President Lukashenka. We called on the President to immediately establish a moratorium on executions and commute the sentences of all those on death row as a first step towards abolishing the death penalty. Signatures were collected online, at events and on the streets. In total, more than 100.000 people across the world signed the petition.It is a powerful message to the Belarusian authorities that the time has come to stop state killings. Learn more title:  Death penalty Learn more text:  When Amnesty International was created in 1961, only nine countries had abolished the death penalty for all crimes. At the start of 2011, that number had risen to 96 countries. Learn more about the death penalty Show as Child:  Show as child