18:46 Belarus restricts death penalty
The speaker of the upper chamber of the National Assembly of Belarus, Genadz Navicky met in Rome with the PACE rapporter and Italian MP Andrea Riganni.
Belarus attempts to restore its special guest status at PACE and with time to join the Council of Europe.
The Belarus government plans to impose moratorium on death penalty to meet this objective, Navicki noted. He said only a national referendum could abolish the capital punishment in Belarus.
The number of death sentences has gradually been reduced in Belarus: 47 in 1998; only 13 in 1999; 4 -- in 2004; 2 in the past two years..
