BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

19/12/2007

UN General Assembly expresses concern at deteriorating human rights in Belarus

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.N. General Assembly approved a U.S.-sponsored resolution on Tuesday criticizing the deteriorating human rights situation in Belarus and urging the government to immediately release all political detainees.

The 192-member world body approved the resolution by a vote of 72 to 333 with 78 abstentions.

The resolution is not legally binding but carries moral weight and reflects the majority view of world opinion.

When the assembly's human rights committee approved the draft last month, U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad called Belarus "the last dictatorship in Europe," denouncing its continued imprisonment of people "as part of its political strategy.

Russia, which has close ties to Belarus, voted against the resolution as did many countries whose human rights records have been criticized, including Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Sudan, Syria and Zimbabwe. Many opponents of the resolution also objected to the General Assembly targeting specific countries.

Under President Alexander Lukashenko's 13-year rule, the nation of 10 million remains frozen in the Soviet era, with a planned economy, a rubber-stamp legislature and virtually no independent media. Lukashenko, a former collective farm director, has quashed dissent, silenced opponents and prolonged his rule through elections regarded in the West as illegitimate.

Last month, Belarus' representative called the accusations "unfounded" and said his country would not recognize the draft.

The resolution expresses concern "that the situation of human rights in Belarus in 2007 continued to significantly deteriorate.

It cites the "severely flawed" presidential election in March 2006 "due to arbitrary use of state power" and the government's failure to ensure that local elections in January 2007 met international standards, including its use of intimidation and arbitrary registration standards to exclude opposition candidates.

The resolution expresses "deep concern" at the government's continued use of the criminal justice system to silence political opponents and human rights defenders and the continued harassment and detention of journalists.

It also expresses "deep concern" at reports of harassment and closure of non-governmental organizations, national minority and religious groups, opposition political parties and independent media outlets, trade unions and student organizations.

The resolution urges the government of Belarus "to release immediately and unconditionally all individuals detained for politically motivated reasons and other individuals detained for exercising or promoting human rights," and "to cease politically motivated prosecution, harassment and intimidation of political opponents, pro-democracy activists and human rights defenders.

It also urges the government to meet international standards for elections, to respect the rights to freedom of speech, assembly and association, and to suspend any officials implicated in cases of forced disappearance, summary execution and torture.

Source:

http://www.pr-inside.com/un-general-assembly-expresses-concern-at-r354621.htm