PACE rapporteur reminded Belarusian authorities about human rights

The abolition of capital punishment or declaration of a moratorium on it is not the only issue, on solving of which depends the returning to Belarus the special guest status in PACE.

It was declared by the rapporteur on Belarus of the Commission on political issues of PACE Sinikka Hurskainen on Tuesday in Minsk, “Interfax-West” reports.

“This is the main issue though it is not the only one. There are issues on Mass media freedom, situation with human rights and, of course, democracy”, - noted Hurskainen, answering to the journalists’ question within the frameworks of her meeting with representatives of non-governmental organizations of Belarus.

Talking about the problem of capital punishment, the rapporteur on Belarus said that the opinion of the Belarusian society on this issue will be “of course” taken into account in the Parliamentary Assembly.

Hurskainen announced that she came to Belarus with the aim of preparing a report on the situation in the country. “Major directions of the work of the Council of Europe are human rights, democracy and the superiority of laws. These are the issues I am working on in Belarus”, - noted the representative of PACE. Besides, she informed, the situation concerning the fulfillment of the Assembly recommendations, which were set forth before Belarus earlier, will be examined in the course of her visit.