July 30, Vitsebsk region court passed another death sentence in the case of Viktar Paulau who was accused of murdering two pensioners, the human rights website “Viasna” reports.
The state prosecutor asked for the sentence of capital punishment. Prosecutor Vitali Suzanski notes that the murder was committed by a person who had previously committed a murder, and this is an aggravating factor.
The preliminary investigation also incriminated Paulau with robbery (part 3 of article 207 of the Criminal Code), but the prosecutor proposed to reclassify the actions of the accused to part 2 of article 205 of the Criminal Code (theft).
The murder was committed on 30 December 2018 in the village of Prysushyna, Vitsebsk region. The fifty years old Viktar Paulau came to the house of his sister pensioners and beat them severely. The intruder stole money and several bottles of wine. The bodies of the women were not discovered until a few days later.
The prosecutor considered Paulau’s guilt proven. His actions were qualified by the prosecutor as “a particularly dangerous crime relapse”.
Taking into account all the circumstances of the case, the prosecutor requested to apply an exceptional punishment measure – execution of the accused (Part 2, Article 139 of the Criminal Code).
In turn, Paulau’s lawyer tried to convinced the judicial board that the murder was a result of friction and had been provoked by one of the women who allegedly insulted the accused, as she had was unhappy with the quality of the shed he had built. According to the defence counsel, the defendant had no purpose to kill the women – he simply came to buy the wine that the women were selling.
In the last word, the defendant expressed regret for what he had done and asked the court not to apply the exceptional measure to him.
This year, on January 9, was announced a sentence to the Babruisk resident Alyaksandr Asipovich. He was accused of double murder under aggravating circumstances and sentenced to death.
Death sentences and criticism of Belarus
This year alone, at least two death sentences were carried out in Belarus. On June 13, it became known about the execution of Alyaksandr Zhylnikau. Probably, the second defendant in the case, Vyachaslau Sukharka, was also executed.
The international community and human rights activists criticize the authorities of our country for continuing the practice of the death penalty. But the official Minsk would not react the criticism.
