Update 21.10.2009: UN COMMITTEE: DO NOT EXECUTE YUZEPCHUK!

The UN Human Rights Committee registered Vasily Yuzepchuk's case on 12 October, and called on the Belarusian government not to execute him until the Committee has considered his case. That day, the Supreme Court sent written notification to Vasily Yuzepchuk that it had rejected his appeal against his death sentence. Once he receives this notification, Vasily Yuzepchuk has 10 days to apply for clemency from President Alyaksandr Lukashenka. It is not known whether he has yet received the notification.

Vasily Yuzepchuk was sentenced to death on 29 June, for the murder of six elderly women, following an investigation and trial which his lawyer argues were fundamentally flawed: he says that Vasily Yuzepchuk was beaten to force him to confess.

Vasily Yuzepchuk belongs to the marginalized Roma ethnic group; originally from Ukraine, he does not have an internal passport, which is required for all citizens of Belarus. He may have an intellectual disability, and according to his lawyer he is illiterate and does not know the months of the year.

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Russian or your own language:

- Urging President Lukashenka to grant clemency to Vasily Yuzepchuk 

- Urging President Lukashenka to comply with the UN Human Rights Committee not to carry out the death sentence against Vasily Yuzepchuk pending its consideration of his case;

- Calling on President Lukashenka to establish an immediate moratorium on the use of the death penalty, in line with UN General Assembly resolution 63/168, adopted on 18 December 2008.

 PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 24 NOVEMBER 2009 TO:

Alyaksandr Lukashenka
President
Administratsia Prezidenta Respubliki Belarus
ul.Karla Marksa, 38
220016 Minsk
BELARUS

Fax: +375 17 226 06 10

+375 17 222 38 72

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Salutation: Dear President Lukashenka

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives of Belarus accredited to your country.