PACE Commission for Legal Issues Condemns Human Rights Violations in Belarus :: Charter'97 :: News

The Commission of the Parliamentary Assembly of the CE (PACE) for Legal Issues condemned cases of human rights violations in Belarus. The statement made following the results of the Visiting Session of the Commission which took place in Paris this Friday says that the Commission “condemns the campaign of intimidation and regular and more and more violent persecution conducted against independent journalists and representatives of the civil society in Belarus”. The document mentions the persecutions of the Polish-language press, arrests of the activists of the “Zubr” movement and other actions of the Belarusian authorities which according to the authors of the statement “violate the freedom of speech and assembly”.

They also called for “immediate release of all prisoners persecuted for their political activities or criticizing the government”.

Besides, the PACE Commission for Legal Issues addressed “all independent journalists and representatives of the civil society in Belarus” with a call “not to yield to intimidation and carry on fighting for democracy and respect of human rights”.