MINSK – Belarus intends to hold a separate referendum on capital punishment in the future, Chairman of the Belarusian Constitutional Court and Chairman of the Constitutional Commission Pyotr Miklashevich said following talks with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on proposals to amend the constitution.
“The issue related to Article 24 of the Constitution, which provides for the possibility of applying the death penalty, was also discussed, but we did not find common ground on it at the meetings of the Constitutional Commission. Today, the position of the Constitutional Commission is that now there is no need to submit this issue for the referendum [on the new version of the constitution, which is planned to be held no later than February 2022]. For this purpose, it is necessary to hold a special referendum in the future,” Miklashevich was quoted as saying by the Belarusian state-run news agency BelTA on Sept. 28.
The Constitutional Commission found it inexpedient to raise the issue of abolishing the death penalty and changing the procedure for its application, he said.
“Since this is a very sensitive issue. It has already been considered in a referendum in 1996. And for a special referendum, appropriate work is required, sociological surveys, an awareness campaign, and verification of the readiness of society to make such a responsible decision,” Miklashevich said.
