Back from an
unofficial visit to Belarus, UN Special Rapporteur “hopeful” for dialog on
human rights
GENEVA (12
July 2017) – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in Belarus
has spoken of his cautious hope for a dialog to begin on the country’s rights
situation, during an unofficial visit to the capital, Minsk.
Miklós
Haraszti said although the government still did not recognize his mandate, it
was encouraging that they had allowed him to attend a human rights seminar,
which took place on July 6, alongside the parliamentary assembly of the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
“I see the
authorities’ tolerance as a sign of progress which may be the first step toward
cooperation with the mandate created by the Human Rights Council in 2012,” Mr.
Haraszti said.
The Special
Rapporteur also cautiously welcomed the publication earlier this year of the
Belarusian Government’s new action plan on human rights, based on select
commitments that the Government had accepted in the framework of the Human
Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review* process.
However, he
noted: “Unfortunately, none of the 100 points within the plan tackles concerns
regarding civic and political rights.”
Mr. Haraszti
said change could come rapidly if the government wished.
“Paradoxically,
the absolute command that the government has established over public life also
allows it to bring change at a stroke of a pen,” he told the seminar on human
rights.
“Many citizens
and diplomats I have spoken to during my visit expressed their expectation that
the Government would lift the menace of criminalization, allow human rights
issues to be addressed, and spare the country from yet new cycles of
disappointment and repression,” he noted.
The Special
Rapporteur at the seminar highlighted two key areas of concern regarding human
rights in Belarus.
“The first is
a systemic refusal of individual liberties - a permission-based regime of
public life, which in effect criminalizes all Belarusians who act without prior
authorization,” he said. “We also note a lack of independence of the judiciary,
and ongoing use of the death penalty.
“The second
area of concern is the cyclical recourse to mass repression, such as the
crackdowns in December 2010 and March 2017, when the authorities actually
criminalize citizens for using their civic and political rights.”
Mr. Haraszti
thanked the organizer, Mr. Kent Härstedt, Vice-President of the Assembly and
Head of the Swedish delegation, for facilitating his visit.
The seminar,
unique in Belarus for its inclusiveness, was also attended by leading members
of civil society including Mr. Ales Bialiatski of the still-unregistered Human
Rights Centre Viasna, Mr. Andrei Bastunets of the Belarusian Association of
Journalists, and Mr. Aleh Hulak of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee.
The chairman
of the country’s Parliamentary Commission on International Affairs, Mr. Valeri
Varanetski, told the event that he and fellow MPs were prepared for further
dialogue. Mr. Haraszti welcomed their
commitment, telling them he “very much hoped” the Commission would invite him
back for a working visit.
Other
politicians at the event included Ms. Tatsiana Karatkevich, a former
presidential candidate from the Tell the Truth Movement, and Ms. Anna
Kanopatskaya, one of the country’s only two opposition MPs, who represents the
United Civic Party.
While in the
country, the Special Rapporteur also participated in a forum organized by
Belarusian human rights groups and the Civic Solidarity Platform; and attended
the trial of human rights activist Mr. Oleg Volchek, who is accused of joining
protests against a tax on the unemployed.
(*) TheUniversal Periodic Review (UPR) is an examination of the human rights records
of all UN Member States by other States, in order to improve the human rights
situation in all countries and address human rights violations wherever they
occur. It allows each State to declare what actions they have taken to improve
the human rights situations in their countries and to fulfil their human rights
obligations. The UPR process reminds States of their responsibility to fully respect
and implement all human rights and fundamental freedoms.
ENDS
Mr. Miklós
Haraszti (Hungary) was designated as Special Rapporteur on the situation ofhuman rights in Belarus by the UN Human Rights Council in 2012. In the 70s, Mr.
Haraszti was a founder of Hungary’ s human rights and free press movement, and
in the 1990s he was a Member of the Hungarian Parliament. From 2004 to 2010, he
served as the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media. Since 2010, he has
been a Professor at several universities teaching media democratisation.
Special
Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human
Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in
the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent
fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country
situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’
experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary
for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and
serve in their individual capacity.
UN Human
Rights, country page: Belarus
For more
information and media requests please contact Mr. Alexandre Girard (+41 22 917
9180 / agirard@ohchr.org) or write to sr-belarus@ohchr.org.
For media
inquiries related to other UN independent experts:
Xabier Celaya,
UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 / xcelaya@ohchr.org)
You can access
this news release online
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