It’s the European Day against the death penalty, and people are gathered in front of the Belarus Embassies in Moscow and Kyiv to protest. They’re demanding an end to the death penalty.

In Moscow about ten people blindfolded themselves and had a rope around their necks. The banner they’re holding demands that the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko abolish the death penalty in his country.

[Nataliya Zviagina, Protester]:
“The death penalty is an act of paid killing. It is paid for with our tax money, which we give to the state. I am against the death penalty in Belarus and the Russian Federation.”

Belarus is the only country in Europe which continues to execute prisoners.

[Sergey Nikitin, Director of Amnesty International in Russia]:
“Amnesty International has been campaigning to abolish the death penalty for 30 years since its 50 years of existence. This campaign is directed not only at Belarus, but also at other countries with the death penalty.”

One hour later the same activity started in Kyiv. Protesters from Amnesty International are collecting signatures for a petition to abolish the death penalty in Belarus. They say the petition will be sent to the President.

Some American students also joined the activity in the Ukrainian capital.

[Victor Chikely, American Student]:
“For me, as a human, as a Christian, I think that should be abolished. I mean, only God gives life, so no human should take it. That’s what I feel.”

In Russia the death penalty is still written in the country’s legislation. In 1999 the Constitutional Court of Russia prohibited the execution of prisoners because jurors were not available in some regions of the country. At that time a halt on the death penalty cleared the way for Russia to join the Council of Europe. But today human rights activists in Russia are worried that the death penalty may return.

[Nataliya Zviagina, Protester]:
“The danger of the death penalty returning to Russia exists all the time—until we prohibit it completely, until we ratify the special protocol of the European convention, which Russia has signed.”

Russian legal experts are optimistic.

[Eugeniy Arkhipov, Head of Association of Russian Lawyers for Human Rights]:
“So far I haven’t heard any comments from the President of the Russian Federation. But I can say that the last steps of our government show that Russia wants to remain in the European Council and to preserve its status there.”

In order to do that, the death penalty has to stay abolished. Most people on the streets say they’re against the death penalty.

[Andrey Khlobonichev, Tula Resident]:
“How can that be done? We are no longer in Stalin’s times when people could be executed just because of a mistake by the court."

[Sviatoslav Savchenko, Kyiv Resident]:
“A person has only one life and it’s wrong to take it because of a crime. Maybe in the future he or she will realize that it was a mistake and will try to change.”

The European day against the death penalty was established in 2007.