UN Human Rights Council in Geneva Adopts a Resolution on Belarus

23 countries voted for it, and 2 voted against.

The UN Human Rights Council (HRC, located in Geneva) called on the Belarusian authorities to enter into a dialogue with the Opposition Coordination Council. This is written in a resolution adopted on September 18 at the proposal of Germany on behalf of the European Union following a discussion of the country's situation.

As Radio Svaboda reports, 23 countries voted for the resolution, 2 against, 22 abstained.

The HRC regrets that the Belarusian government "has not fulfilled its obligations with regard to the right of every citizen to vote and to be elected at genuine periodic elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret ballot, guaranteeing the free expression of the will of the electors."

The Council is deeply concerned about human rights violations in Belarus, "including numerous acts of torture and arbitrary deprivation of life."

The resolution also notes that in Belarus, access to a number of media sites is restricted, journalists of foreign media have been deprived of their accreditation, and access to the Internet is blocked.

The HRC calls on the Belarusian authorities to stop "excessive force against peaceful demonstrators, including torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and enforced disappearance" and to end arbitrary detentions and arrests for political reasons.

"The HRC urges the Belarusian authorities to immediately release all political prisoners, journalists, human rights defenders, members of strike committees, students and those detained in the lead-up to, during and after the presidential election for exercising their human rights and fundamental freedom," the resolution says.

The Belarusian authorities are calling for dialogue with the political opposition, including the Coordination Council and civil society, to ensure that human rights standards, including civil and political rights, are respected.

It is also reported that Russia tried to disrupt the resolution on Belarus in the UN Human Rights Council.