PACE rapporteur on Belarus condemns continuing political repression

Submitted by admin on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 11:30

Strasbourg, 09.03.2011 - At a meeting of the PACE Political Affairs Committee in Paris today, the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) Rapporteur on the situation in Belarus, Sinikka Hurskainen (Finland, SOC), strongly condemned the continuing repression of civil society, human rights defenders, independent media and political opponents in Belarus.

She expressed her deep concern about unfair and politically motivated trials, allegations of torture in detention, the non-transparent investigation into the events of 19 December and continuing confirmations of death sentences in Belarus.

Mrs Hurskainen also condemned the recent warning issued by the Belarus Ministry of Justice against the Belarussian Helsinki Committee and announced that the Political Affairs Committee had decided to consult the Venice Commission on its compatibility with international human rights standards.

The committee decided to invite representatives of Belarus civil society and independent media for an exchange of views with its members during the April session (Strasbourg, 11-15 April).

PACE Resolution 1790 (2011)

Parliamentary Assembly Communication Unit
Tel: +33 3 88 41 31 93
Fax : +33 3 90 21 41 34
[email protected]
assembly.coe.int

News of Belarus

Tough sentences announced to Brest antifascists

Submitted by admin on Mon, 10/05/2015 - 21:00

A verdict was delivered today in the case of Brest antifascists acused of participation in a group fight with neonazis which happened on May 8, 2013.

Antifascists were tried under the art. 339.3 (malicious group hooliganism) and 147.2 (malicious bodily harm). The case was qualified as malicious due to the fact of pepper spray usage in the fight.

Dzmitry Stsyashenka got 5 years of penal colony with reinforced regime (339.3) and 500 euro of damages to be paid to the injured nazis.

Exclusive: European Union moves to suspend sanctions on Belarus

Submitted by admin on Wed, 09/16/2015 - 21:00

The European Union is likely to lift some sanctions on Belarus, including its travel ban on President Alexander Lukashenko, after he freed a group of political prisoners last month, diplomatic sources say.

An arms embargo against the former Soviet republic would remain. But in an overture to the man the West calls Europe's "last dictator", diplomats are looking at suspending visa bans and asset freezes on most of around 200 people under sanctions for rights abuses, some since disputed elections in 2004.