UNO concerned about Belarusians' rightlessness
It is stated in the report of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay.
The report has been prepared to the 20th
session of the UN Human Rights Council, which is to start on June 18. The
document covers the time period from December 19, 2012 till March 23, 2012,
notes Radio Liberty.
It is stated in the
report that the authorities responded with mass harassment of the political
opposition, the human rights groups and the independent media to the
"mostly peaceful" demonstration of December 19, 2010. The
Commissioner gives an example of pressure on the media - journalist Iryna
Khalip's case. The report also mentions harassment of human rights defenders in
Belarus, including repressions against the unregistered human rights center
"Vyasna" and its leader Ales Byalyatski.
The death penalty
problem is mentioned separately in the report. It is stated that the latest
death sentences were executed despite the official request of the Office of the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights to wait until the convicts' appeals were considered.
The UN rapporteur
gives a number of recommendations to the Belarusian government. In particular,
it is recommended "to release the imprisoned members of the opposition,
activists and journalists, who committed no violent actions either during the events
of December 19, 2010 and afterwards immediately and unconditionally; to conduct
an unbiased and trustworthy investigation of the circumstances of the above
mentioned people's arrests and detentions and to take urgent measures for their
rehabilitation".