The Death Penalty in the OSCE Area–Background Paper 2019 The Supreme Court dismissed Alyaksandr Zhylnikau’s appeal and Vyachaslau Sukharka did not challenge his verdict and awaits execution.161 Executions between 1 April 2018 and 31 March 2019 It is reported that Belarus executed four people during the reporting period.162 As emphasised by the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, it is difficult to access statistics on the number of executions because of the secrecy surrounding the death penalty.163 Reported date of execution Name164 15/05/2018 Viktar Liotau Age (not confirmed) 31 Sex Method Male Firing Squad 15/05/2018 Aliaksei Mikhalenia 34 Male Firing Squad 19/11/2018 Siamion Berazhny 31 Male Firing Squad 19/11/2018 Ihar Hershankou 36 Male Firing Squad The execution of Viktar Liotau and Aliaksei Mikhalenia on the night of 15 May 2018 only became public knowledge when reported by a fellow inmate, when he appeared in court for Alyaksandr Zhylnikau’s appeal on 29 May 2018.165 He reportedly shared a cell with both Viktar Liotau and Aliaksei Mikhalenia for four months and informed the court that these two prisoners were taken out of their cell on the night of 15 to 16 May and did not come back.166 As stated by the non-governmental organisation Human Rights Center “Viasna” (Viasna), the authorities did not refute the media publications about these executions.167 On 30 May 2018, the PACE General Rapporteur on the abolition of the death penalty, and the former PACE rapporteur on the situation in Belarus, strongly condemned the execution of these two prisoners.168 Furthermore, the EU and a group of other states led by Norway condemned 161  Ibid. 162  Human Rights Center “Viasna”, “Human Rights Situation in Belarus: 2018 Analytical review”, op. cit., note 46, p. 9. 163  Anaïs Marin, Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, op. cit., note 47, para. 19. 164  The spelling used follows that used in the 2018 background paper and/or report of the Special Rapporteur. 165  “Two more executions reported in Belarus”, Viasna, 29 May 2018, <https://dp.spring96.org/en/ news/89987>. 166  “Неофициально. В Беларуси расстреляли двух «смертников» — Алексея Михаленю и Виктора Лётова” [Unconfirmed. Two death row inmates have been shot – Viktar Liotau and Aliaksei Mikhalenia]], Naviny news website, 29 May 2018, <https://naviny.by/new/20180529/1527585573-neoficialno-v-belarusi-rasstrelyali-dvuh-smertnikov-alekseya-mihalenyu-i>. 167  Human Rights Center “Viasna”, “Human Rights Situation in Belarus: 2018 Analytical review”, op. cit., note 46, p. 9. 168  “Rapporteurs condemn two recent executions in Belarus”, Parliamentary Assembly, 30 May 2018, <http:// assembly.coe.int/nw/xml/News/News-View-en.asp?newsid=7085&lang=2>. 35