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Miklos Haraszti: Daily Life In Belarus Is Limited By Repressive Code Of Laws

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Miklos Haraszti: Daily Life In Belarus Is Limited By Repressive Code Of Laws
MIKLOS HARASZTI

The UN Special Rapporteur on Belarus has prepared a hard-hitting report on the situation in the country.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, Miklos Haraszti, says that there is no progress in the field of human rights in the republic, Interfax reports.

"The conclusions regarding the period under review (from April 1, 2017 to April 30, 2018 – note) do not allow us to speak about any improvement in the situation of human rights in Belarus. ... The repressive legal basis, the structural lack of the rule of law and blatant disregard for the recommendations of human rights mechanisms testify to the suspension of exercising fundamental freedoms in Belarus," – M. Haraszti’s report says.

The report will be presented at the 36th session of the Human Rights Council, which will be held from 18 June to 6 July 2018.

As the Special Rapporteur notes, the situation of human rights in Belarus could be easily improved, "if at the internal level, a political will was shown to apply the ready-to-use set of tools proposed in the recommendations of human rights mechanisms."

"Belarus’ attempts to demonstrate alleged progress in the field of human rights by, for example, periodically releasing political prisoners, allowing two symbolic opposition representatives to win seats in the National Assembly or adopting an Inter-Agency Human Rights Plan without solving any remaining systemic problems are refuted by everyday reality, which is faced by citizens," – M. Haraszti’s report stresses.

The Special Rapporteur also notes that "the presidential and parliamentary elections planned for 2020 and, possibly, for 2019, are an opportunity for the authorities to give the Belarusian society a breath of freedom, which it so deserves."

In the document, the special rapporteur also touches on the themes of discrimination of women, sexual minorities, disabled people and religious groups in Belarus.

Belarus does not recognize the mandate of the UN special rapporteur and refuses to cooperate with him.

M. Haraszti has been the Special Rapporteur on Belarus since 2012.

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