The Death Penalty in the OSCE Area from Oleg Gryshkovtsov and Andrei Burdyko.64 The two men had previously argued that investigators had violated procedural regulations and the ICCPR, through extracting forced confessions. The Chairperson of the UN Human Rights Committee, Zonke Zanele Majodina, expressed concerns that the executions violated Belarus’s international obligations, particularly those under articles Six and 14 of the ICCPR.65 Vladislav Kovalev’s petition for clemency was also rejected by the President, according to information provided by Belarus.66 This was reportedly rejected on 14 March 2012. According to official information received from the Belarus delegation to the OSCE, Dmitriy Konovalov did not file a clemency request. Information to families and return of bodies In Belarus, the death penalty is classified as a “state secret” and, under the Belarusian Criminal Executive Code, death row inmates, the families of the convicted and the public are not notified about the dates of executions.67 The bodies of those executed are not handed over to their families for burial and the place of burial is kept secret, in accordance with Article 175(5) of the Code. Belarus did not inform ODIHR about any information it may have supplied to the families of the five men it executed. According to Amnesty International, Burdyko’s mother received official confirmation of his death three months later.68 The Supreme Court refused to provide confirmation of Myalik’s execution to his relatives, stating that the relevant body for such information is the Ministry of Internal Affairs. According to media reports, the families of Kovalev and Konovalov received letters from the Supreme Court, dated 16 March, informing them that the executions had been carried out.69 This notification was unusual for Belarus, which has previously contacted families weeks or months after executions. The executions of the two men were also confirmed by state-owned media.70 Kovalev’s relatives petitioned President Lukashenko for the return of his body.71 The Department of Corrections and the presidential administration refused the request, in 64  “Belarus: President Lukashenko denies clemency to two death row inmates”, BBC, 25 February 2011, <http://www. handsoffcain.info/archivio_news/201102.php?iddocumento=15302565&mover=0>. 65  UN Belarus, op. cit., note 50. 66  Belarus Response, op. cit., note 28. 67  Article 175 of the Criminal Executive Code of the Republic of Belarus, 16 July 1999, amended on 25 July 2012. 68  Amnesty Belarus, op. cit., note 58. 69  “In a wake of Belarus executions, doubts about judicial process”, Radio Free Europe, 19 March 2012, <http://www. rferl.org/content/in_wake_of_belarus_executions_doubts_about_judicial_process/24520661.html>. 70  Amnesty Belarus, op. cit., note 58. 71  “Kavalyou`s relatives appealed prohibition of extradition of his body to the UN Human Rights Committee”, Naviny.by, 14 May 2012, <http://naviny.by/rubrics/computer/2012/05/14/ic_news_116_393024/>. 14