Belarus remains Europe's only country to practice capital punishment
Belarus stands as the last European nation and former Soviet republic to enforce the death penalty, a practice abolished by most of its neighbours between the 1980s and 2000s. Over 400 executions have occurred since 1991.
Belarus remains the sole European nation and former Soviet republic to enforce capital punishment, a practice largely abandoned across the continent. According to lawyer and former political prisoner Maksim Znak, speaking at the 9th World Congress Against the Death Penalty in Paris, "over 400 individuals have been executed" in the country since its independence in 1991. While most European countries moved to abolish the death penalty or adopt a moratorium between the 1980s and 2000s, Belarus has consistently declined to follow suit, maintaining its use of capital punishment despite international calls for its cessation. This position distinguishes Belarus from its European neighbours, where the practice has been widely discontinued.
Sources: Le Monde