The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not recognised the resolution on Belarus adopted by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
“Regarding the situation of human rights in Belarus, the Council was concerned at the findings of the High Commissioner for Human Rights that suggested the existence of a pattern of serious violations of human rights in Belarus since 19 December 2010, of a systemic nature, and including intensified restrictions on the fundamental freedoms of association and expression as well as allegations of torture and ill-treatment in custody and impunity of perpetrators of human rights violations. The Council decided to appoint a Special Rapporteur to monitor the situation of human rights in Belarus and to make recommendations for its improvement,” the HRC official web site says. The Council called upon the Government of Belarus to cooperate fully with the Special Rapporteur and to provide him/her access to visit the country.
In its turn, “Belarus spurns the resolution as politically motivated and as having nothing to do with the promotion of human rights. Neither does the Belarusian Side homologate the mandate of the HRC Special Rapporteur on Belarus, created by this resolution, and will not cooperate with him,” the Belarusian MFA press service comments the resolution.
The Numan Rights Council urges the Government of Belarus to immediately and unconditionally release and rehabilitate all political prisoners, to address reports of torture and ill-treatment and to put an immediate end to arbitrary detention of human rights defenders and arbitrary travel bans aimed at intimidating representatives of the political opposition and the media, as well as human rights defenders and civil society.
“European countries continue to use human rights as a tool of political manipulation and pressure,” MFA officials believe.
Belsat
