13/01/2016 (Agence Europe) - EU demands that prisoner sentenced to death should have right to appeal fully guaranteed. On Wednesday 13 January, the spokesperson for the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, called on Belarus to fully guarantee the right of appeal of Henadz Yakavitski, who was sentenced to death by the Minsk Regional Court on 5 January. He was given the death sentence for “the murder with extreme cruelty” of his mistress in July 2015. Yakavitski will be allowed to appeal to the High Court. Whilst highlighting the seriousness of the crime committed, the spokesperson pointed out that the EU was opposed to capital punishment in all cases and without exception. She called on Belarus, the only country in Europe to still apply the death penalty, to support the international moratorium on the death sentence. She added “Commuting the sentences of persons sentenced to death and launching a public debate on the death penalty with Belarusian society would be an important move in this regard”. (CG)