USA Urge UN to Pay Attention to Lukashenko :: Charter'97 :: News

Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick, Head of the U.S. Delegation to the UN Commission on Human Rights, strongly criticized the regime of Lukashenko at the Commission’s 59th session in Geneva: “Belarus enjoys the dubious distinction of being the only country in Europe that has not abandoned the disastrous legacy of the totalitarian system that held sway for so long in many parts of Central and Eastern Europe. It is an affront to all the nations who have broken with their unfortunate past, and committed to the path of democracy and representative government. This affront must be recognized by this Commission, and the Lukashenko government must be called to account at this session. We must support the brave Belarussian people who continue to struggle against this monstrous regime”. Following you may read an excerpt from her speech, concerning the situation in Belarus.

“...In Belarus, the Lukashenko regime`s human rights record worsened in several areas. The regime continues to take severe measures to neutralize political opponents. Security forces beat and/or harass political opponents, trade unionists, and detainees. Agents closely monitor human rights organizations and hinder their efforts. The regime did not undertake serious efforts to account for the disappearances of well-known opposition political figures in previous years and discounts credible reports regarding the regime`s role in those disappearances.

The government of Belarus further restricted freedom of speech, the press, peaceful assembly, association, worker`s rights, and religion. It intensified its assault on the independent media, with journalists jailed on libel charges and several newspapers closed down. It prevented the state union federation from becoming independent. It enacted a new law that severely restricts freedom of religion.

Belarus enjoys the dubious distinction of being the only country in Europe that has not abandoned the disastrous legacy of the totalitarian system that held sway for so long in many parts of Central and Eastern Europe. It is an affront to all the nations who have broken with their unfortunate past, and committed to the path of democracy and representative government. This affront must be recognized by this Commission, and the Lukashenko government must be called to account at this session. We must support the brave Belarussian people who continue to struggle against this monstrous regime.”