Amnesty International: Belarus is the last executioner of region

Amnesty International, a human rights organisation, has published a report on the human rights situation all over the world.

Belarus is characterized by deterioration of the economic situation, growth of tensions in the society and further limitations of freedom by the authorities, Radio Svaboda informs.

Over this year the restrictions on freedom of speech, associations and meetings have become even more strict, the passage of the report on Belarus states. Death sentences are continued to e executed. Prisoners of conscience stayed behind the bars, underwent tortures and other kinds of cruel treatment. The right for a fair trial was limited. A system of independent monitoring of penitentiary institutions was absent in the country.

Testimony about tortures had been heard from the presidential candidate Ales Mikhalevich, who was charged with staging mass rallies after the election. Zmitser Dashkevich during his prison term was placed to a punitive cell for at least 8 times. According to Amnesty International, by the end of 2011 there have been 6 prisoners of conscience in Belarus: Zmitser Bandarenka, Andrei Sannikov, Paval Sevyarynets, Mikalai Statkevich, Dzmitry Dashkevich and Eduard Lobau.

In August the head of the human rights organisation Viasna Ales Byalyatski was arrested. He was also recognized prisoner of conscience. Over the year but registered and unregistered human rights organisations were cracked down upon. Soon after Byalyatski’s arrest, the law “On Public Associations” was amended. Depositing money of Belarusian NGOs at the bank accounts abroad was outlawed. Venetian Commission of the Council of Europe noted that the Criminal Code, which qualifies as crime participation in activities of unregistered parties or associations, is “incompatible with the notion of a democratic society.”

The new law “On Mass Events” adopted in Belarus is called draconian by the report. It appeared after the so-called “silent” rallies of protest, and permission of the authorities for holding both preliminary planned public action, as well as “lack of action”, are required.

Giving examples on the situation with the freedom of expression, the report also mentions the conditional sentence of three years for a journalist Andrei Poczobut “for insult of the president.”

In 2011 two persons were executed in Belarus (Hrodna killers Aleh Hryshkavets and Andrei Burdyka). The sentences were enforced despite the fact that the UN Human Rights Committee sent an official request for a respite to Belarus, in order to study the cases of the convicts. Amnesty International calls Belarus the last executioner of the region due to its practice of enforcing death penalty.