“Severely critical” report on Belarus to be considered in PACE

A report on abuse of the criminal justice system in Belarus will be presented to the attention of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The document has been prepared by the spokesperson of the PACE on Legal Affairs and Human Rights Christos Pourgourides. The report is to be considered at the PACE session on April 15 in the evening. Summing up the results of the report, the PACE is to approve a resolution and recommendations.

In the draft resolution it is stated in particular that “deep concern in connection with politically motivated abuses in the justice system, which still occur in Belarus,” and contain an appeal to annul Article 193.1 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (activities on behalf of an unregistered organization), Radio Svaboda informs.

“The Assembly is convinced that once the Republic of Belarus will join the European family of nations that follow human rights and norms of the law, together with by guaranteeing compensations to victims and punishing those guilty of abuses in executing justice which is accounted in the report”, the draft reads.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe unites representatives of parliaments of all country-members of the Council of Europe. The makeup of a national delegation is defined by national parliaments. The PACE is considered the oldest body of inter-parliamentarian cooperation in Europe.

Since the Supreme Soviet of Belarus of the 12th convocation Belarus had a special guest status. But on January 13, 1997 that status was frozen. Such a decision was a response of the Assembly to numerous violations during the referendum in 1996 in Belarus. Since that time Belarusian parliament is not represented at the PACE sessions. All attempts of the Belarusian regime to reverse that decision failed.

The PACE adopts resolutions and recommendations, after considering reports of deputies.

Four years ago a Deputy Christos Pourgourides, who is to present the report on Abuse of the criminal justice system in Belarus tomorrow in Strasbourg, made a report stating that active measures had been taken at the highest state level in order to conceal the real circumstances of disappearances of Zakharanka, Hanchar, Krasouski.

The PACE appoints a special rapporteur of the Political Committee on Belarus. Now an Italian MP Andrea Rigoni takes the position.