Help make Europe a death penalty free zone!

Today, The 10th of october, is the international abolish the death penalty day.
Capital punishment violates the right to life as proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but thousands of people around the world are waiting for governments to kill them. In Europe however, only one country remains to abolish the death penalty before Europe as a whole can become a death penalty free zone.

Belarus is the last country in Europe and the former Soviet Union to carry out executions. Torture is often used to obtain a confession and, Prisoners on death row in Belarus are told that they will be executed only moments before the sentence is carried out.

They are executed by a shot to the back of the head. Sometimes more than one bullet is needed.

The families of the death row inmates are not informed and mothers of executed prisoners often come to visit their sons not knowing they are already dead. They are then denied the right to bury the body.

The death penalty is the ultimate denial of human rights. It is the premeditated and cold-blooded killing of a human being by the state. This cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment is done in the name of justice.

Amnesty international is now collecting as many signatures as possible around the World Day Against the Death Penalty on 10 October, so that Viasna can deliver a powerful message to the Belarusian authorities. It's time to make europe a death penalty free zone, so sign the petition and start spreading the word!