The Death Penalty in the OSCE Area Method of execution The death penalty is carried out by means of shooting.44 Relatives are reportedly not informed about the date and/or place of execution.45 The bodies of those executed are reportedly not returned to families and their places of burial are not disclosed.46 Statistics Death sentences According to official statistics provided by the Supreme Court of Belarus, three individuals were sentenced to death during the reporting period.47 Andrei Zhuk, 26 years old at the time of sentencing, was sentenced to death on 17 July 2009 by the Minsk District Court.48After filing an appeal to the Supreme Court, the decision became final on 27 October 2009.49 The death sentence handed down to Vasily Yuzepchuk on 29 June 2009 by the Brest Regional Court, became final on 2 October 2009, after his appeal was rejected by the Supreme Court.50 After having exhausted domestic remedies, both men submitted complaints to the United Nations Human Rights Committee, claiming that their rights under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights – including the right to a fair trial, torture and the right to life51 – had been violated.52 After reports that both complainants had been executed, the United Nations Human Rights Committee expressed “serious concerns” over the matter.53 On 14 May 2010, Oleg Gryshkovtsov and Andrei Burdyko, who were 29 and 28 years old at the time, respectively, were sentenced to death by firing squad by the 44  Article 59(1) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus. 45  Amnesty International Report 2010, Amnesty International website, <http://thereport.amnesty.org/regions/europecentral-asia>. 46  Ibid. 47  Response to the ODIHR questionnaire on the death penalty from the Permanent Delegation of the Republic of Belarus to the OSCE, 15 July 2010. 48  Ibid. 49  Council of Europe, Joint statement by Samuel Zbogar, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, and Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, 30 October, “Council of Europe concerned about a new death penalty case in Belarus”, reported in the Council of Europe’s Human Rights Information Bulletin No 78, July-October 2009, <http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/publications/bulletin/hrib78_en.pdf>. 50  Response to from the Permanent Delegation of the Republic of Belarus to the OSCE, op cit., note 50. 51  “Viasna issues statement on death sentences to Vasily Yuzepchuk and Andrei Zhuk”, The Human Rights Centre Viasna, 28 October 2009, <http://spring96.org/en/news/30162/>. 52  “Press Conference by Human Rights Committee Following Conclusion of Session”, 26 March 2010, United Nations website, Department of Public Information, News and Media Division, <http://www.un.org/News/briefings/ docs/2010/100326_HRC.doc.htm>. 53  Ibid. 9