On 10 February 1998, the Parliament of Azerbaijan adopted a bill abolishing the death penalty for peacetime offences, following an initiative by President Aliyev. One death sentence was passed before the relevant law came into force on 21 February 1998, bringing the total number of persons on death row to 128. However, all death sentences were commuted to long-term imprisonment after the decision to abolish capital punishment26. Azerbaijan signed Protocol No. 6 to the ECHR in January 2001, but has not yet ratified it. Nagorno-Karabakh The death penalty remains in force in the internationally unrecognized separatist enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, and courts reportedly hand down death sentences. There are, however, no indications that executions are carried out27. In January 2000, Arkady Ghukasian, leader of Nagorno-Karabakh, commuted two death sentences to periods of 15 years’ imprisonment28. 4.4 Belarus The Criminal Code of Belarus provides for the death penalty for a wide range of crimes, including treason, plotting to seize power, terrorism, sabotage, bombings that threaten public safety, undermining the work of a prison, premeditated murder, and aggravated rape. In the referendum of 1996, which was not recognized by the international community due to serious irregularities, the majority of the voters voiced support for the continued use of the death penalty29. In violation of paragraph 17.8 of the Copenhagen Document, there is very little transparency concerning the use of the death penalty in Belarus. The secrecy surrounding capital punishment also extends to execution procedures. Relatives are not informed of the date of the execution, hence they do not have an opportunity for a last meeting before the execution. The body is not returned to the family, and the place of burial remains unknown30. There are numerous allegations of serious irregularities during the investigations and legal proceedings in cases that have resulted in death verdicts and executions. These allegations include forced confession under torture, lack of conclusive evidence, and denial of the right to legal defence31. In 1998, 47 death sentences were passed by Belarusian courts, and 40 people were executed. According to General Procurator Oleg Bozhelko, 14 death sentences were carried out in 199932. According to Amnesty International, an unspecified number of executions took place during 200033, while on 10 July 2001 President Lukashenka was reported as saying that three people had been executed the previous year34. It is believed that there were no executions in the first half of 200135. 4.5 Bosnia and Herzegovina 11