At its 1350th meeting, the Committee of Ministers, on the initiative of the French Chairmanship, adopted a declaration deeply deploring the execution of Mr Alyaksandr Zhylnikau, which was announced on 13 June 2019, and calling on the Belarusian authorities not to execute Mr Vyachaslau Sukharko, who was sentenced for the same crime.

Reaffirming its unequivocal opposition to the death penalty, the Committee of Ministers reiterated its strong call on the Belarusian authorities to establish a moratorium on executions and to promote a public debate on issues relating to the full abolition of the death penalty, as provided for in the Belarusian constitution.