MINSK, November 4 (RIA Novosti) – Belarus has executed a man convicted of murder, making it the third execution in Belarus this year, the Belarusian Viasna human rights center announced Tuesday.
"November 4, Volha Hrunova, mother of Aliaksandr Hrunou, reported about receiving a post notice for receiving a parcel. In the parcel, there were the clothes which Aliaksandr was wearing during his stay on the death row in the prison in Valadarski Street in Minsk," the Viasna center stated on its official website.
"October 13 his [Hrunou's] case came to the Homel Regional Court with the mark that he was denied clemency and all process actions concerning the appeal against the death verdict were exhausted," the human rights body added.
On September 20, 2012 Aliaksandr Hrunou killed Natallia Yemelyanchykava, a student at Homel State University. During the trial he claimed that the victim had insulted him and had not apologized, which was grounds for him stabbing her 103 times.
Hrunou's execution is the third this year in Belarus. April saw the executions of 24-year-old student Paul Selyun and 45-year-old Gregory Yuzepchuk.
Belarus is the only country in Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, which has the death penalty. This has been highly criticized by international organizations and human rights defenders. In 1996, the abolition of the death penalty was put to a referendum in Belarus. Almost 80.5 percent of the voters decided to preserve it.
