Another death penalty passed in Belarus :: Charter'97 :: News

June 28, the court chamber of the Vitsiebsk Region Court set a sentence to four members of a criminal gang of Polatsk. One of the organizers of the gang was sentenced to death penalty, another one - to life imprisonment.

Judge Leanid Piatrou pronounced the verdict for 4 hours. The court found two dwellers of Polatsk Siargey Pugachou and Aliaxandar Burdenka guilty of organizing the gang and involving two more people - Zmitser Ignatovich and Siargey Astafurau - in its criminal activity.

S. Pugachou and A. Burdenka were found guilty of committing four homicides, two of which happened summer 2001. Two young girls were murdered in order to hold their golden jewels, as the court elucidated. The criminals committed two more crimes in 2002: drivers, who drove automobiles from Baltic countries to Russia, were killed.

Moreover, the members of the criminal gang were found guilty of attempted murders, plunders, thefts, damage to possessions and other malpractices committed by two, three or four gang members. On the whole, the culprits were alleged about 30 criminal episodes.

Eventually, S. Pugachou was sentenced to death penalty (shooting) and A. Burdenka - to life imprisonment in a colony with a special regime. Their abettors were sentenced to shorter terms: Z. Ignatovich - to 18 and S. Astafurau - to 13 years of imprisonment in a colony with a reinforced regime.