BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

14 April 2005

United States, United Kingdom Support Human Rights in Belarus

Jointly sponsored resolution responds to deteriorating human-rights situation

The United States and the United Kingdom offered a resolution in response to the deteriorating human rights situation in Belarus at the 61st Session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) in Geneva on April 14.

The resolution calls on Belarus to cooperate with UNCHR and rights investigators, according to a statement on the resolution issued by the U.S. delegation.

The statement cites the implication of senior Belarus officials in the disappearances of three political opponents in 1999 and of a journalist in 2000. It also notes that Belarus has failed to live up to its Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe commitments for democratic elections and that there are persistent reports of widespread harassment of media, nongovernmental organizations, opposition political parties and individuals.

The text of the draft resolution presented by the United States and the United Kingdom is available at http://www.humanrights-usa.net/2005/belarusres.htm

Following is a statement by the U.S. delegation to the 61st Session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights:

(begin text)

United States Government Delegation to the 61st Session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights

Geneva, Switzerland

April 14, 2005

U.S. STATEMENT ON THE RESOLUTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN BELARUS

The United States offers this resolution that we are co-tabling with the European Union in response to the deteriorating human rights situation in Belarus. Since last year, senior officials of the Government of Belarus have been implicated in the enforced disappearance and-or summary execution of three political opponents of the incumbent authorities in 1999 and of a journalist in 2000.

Elections were held that according to the Election Observation Mission of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), significantly short of commitments Belarus made. Belarusian authorities failed to create the conditions, particularly freedom of expression and freedom of media, to ensure that the will of the people serves as the basis of the authority of government.

The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus noted persistent reports that as of February 1, 2005 the Belarusian Government has been enforcing draconian-prohibitive legal requirements and requesting exorbitant monetary sums for registration and continued operation of non-governmental organizations. There are persistent reports of harassment and closure of non-governmental organizations, national minority organizations, independent media outlets, opposition political parties and independent trade unions, and the harassment of individuals engaged in democratic activities, including independent media.

This resolution urges the Government of Belarus to dismiss or suspend from their duties law enforcement officers and public officials implicated in forced disappearances and-or summary executions, pending an independent, credible and full investigation of those cases, and to hold the perpetrators promptly accountable.

The resolution asks that at the Government of Belarus cooperate fully with all the mechanisms of the Commission, including by extending invitations to the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights defenders, as well as the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, and through requesting technical assistance.

We urge the Commission to support this resolution.

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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

Source:

http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/m-news+article+storyid-9332.html