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Mother to appeal to Lukashenka for pardon for Homyel man sentenced to death

The mother of Alyaksandr Hrunow, a Homyel man sentenced to death again in his retrial on Tuesday, told reporters that she would ask Alyaksandr Lukashenka to pardon her son.

Mr. Hrunow, 25, was found guilty of murdering university student Natallya Yemyalyanchykava by stabbing her 102 times with a knife.

Speaking minutes after a panel of judges at the Homyel Regional Court pronounced their judgment, Volha Hrunova said that it was the victim who had provoked the deadly attack and her son did not deserve a death sentence.

Iryna Yemyalyanchykava, the victim`s mother, described the judgment as fair. "My daughter cannot be brought back to life, but at least not a single child, not a single family will suffer at the hands of this scum any more," she said.

Syarhey Krasnow, Mr. Hrunow`s lawyer, said that he would appeal the sentence. According to the lawyer, the Supreme Court`s October decision to overturn the man`s death sentence and order him retried was linked to mitigating circumstances, namely the fact that Mr. Hrunow gave himself up to the police, that he is employed and is highly regarded at work.

Viktar Adzinochanka, a member of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, said, "We have laws that provide for the death penalty, that’s why one cannot accuse the court of violating anything. The problem is that capital punishment exists in Belarus. I personally believe that he is a sick person and should have been isolated [from society]." //BelaPAN