Situation in Belarus to be discussed at OSCE PA session

Participants of the 21st session of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), which opens in Monaco today, are expected to discuss the situation in Belarus.

Two draft resolutions on Belarus will be discussed at the session. One of them will be presented by the Belarusian “parliamentary” delegation led by deputy chair of the “house of representatives” Viktar Huminski, BelaPAN news agency reports.

As Uladzimir Andreichanka, a speaker of the lower house of the Belarusian “parliament”, said, the official resolution “concerns development of new energy sources”. “The other resolution is against us. It is a biased and one-sided resolution prepared by British MPs. We want it not to pass,” Andreichanka says.

We remind the alternative draft resolution was issued by the OSCE PA on June 27. The document recommends to cancel holding the 2012 Ice Hockey World Championship in Belarus if political prisoners are not released.

The resolution calls on official Minsk to respect the rule of law, media freedom and freedom of movement, stop harassing and persecuting trade unions, journalists and human rights defenders, allow an international investigation into allegations of torture in prisons and reconsider applications of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party and the non-governmental organization Viasna, who have been denied registration without due cause.

As the PA reports, more than 60 parliamentarians from 21 countries have co-sponsored a resolution.

The OSCE PA consists of 320 members from 55 countries of Europe, Central Asia and North America. The Assembly gives a platform for inter-parliamentary diplomacy, observes elections and strengthen international cooperation to fulfill commitments in political, economic and ecological, security and human rights issues.