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Belarusian Human Rights Activists Urge the EU to Keep a Close Eye on Human Rights

Belarusian Human Rights Activists Urge the EU to Keep a Close Eye on Human Rights
PHOTO FROM BORISOVNEWS.BY

A joint position of Belarusian human rights activists on the eve of a regular round of the EU-Belarus dialogue on human rights.

HRC Viasna published a joint position of Belarusian civil rights activists. The entire text is provided:

–Belarusian human rights organizations support further dialogue of the EU and Belarus on human rights. On the threshold of a regular round we call the parties to preserve a close eye on human rights when constructing relationships between the European Union and Belarus and state our common position on observance of human rights in the Republic of Belarus.

We state absence of significant progress and systemic changes in the sphere of human rights and freedoms in Belarus.

Positions remained are as follows:

- Death penalty;

- Disregard of significant recommendations of international bodies on strengthening of an independent judicial system;

- A notable restriction of civil, political and socio-economic rights including freedom of association, freedom of expression, freedom of gathering;

- The existence of persecution of civil rights activists and journalists for their professional activity.

Major improvement of the situation is possible in case of systemic changes in the field of human rights and freedoms and a constructive dialogue between Belarus and international partners, as well as even in the first turn within the country.

The Belarusian human rights community must become a subject of the EU-Belarus dialogue and be included in the process.

Belarus' human rights organizations must be involved into other dialog processes in the country. In this regard, we urge the government to engage in a dialogue on human rights between government institutions and human rights organizations and develop the National Plan on Human Rights. Recommendations given to the Republic of Belarus in the context of the Universal periodic review procedure can be the basis of this plan. Human rights organizations are working together to develop indicators of implementation of those recommendations, which make the assessment of the situation with human rights in the Republic of Belarus possible.

We also urge the Government to steadily fulfill international commitments voluntarily undertaken by the Republic of Belarus within the framework of the UN, the OSCE, other international structures and mechanisms and to adopt measures on implementation of findings generated by treaty bodies, in particular the UN Committee on Human Rights.

The Belarusian Documentation Center

Boris Zvozskov Belarusian House of Human Rights

OO Belarusian Association of Journalists

Minsk resumes human rights dialogue with the EU

Viasna Human Rights Centre

Educational institution Centre of Legal Transformation

ROO Legal Initiative

RPOO Belarusian Helsinki Committee

Forb Initiative

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