BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

Thursday, 14 April 2005

UN Demands Special Investigator Visit Belarus

14 April 2005 -- The United Nation's top human rights body has demanded that Belarus allow a visit from a special UN investigator to report on numerous accusations of rights violations.

The UN Commission on Human Rights said it was deeply concerned about senior Belarus government officials being implicated in the 1999 disappearances of three political opponents and a journalist in 2000.

The UN commission called for a full and impartial investigation of "all cases of forced disappearances, summary execution, and torture" and that all those found responsible be brought before independent tribunals.

The commission voted 23 to 16 to renew the mandate of its special envoy for Belarus. There were 14 abstentions.

The commission also urged Belarus President Alyaksandr Lukashenka to accept visits from special UN investigators, something the Belarus government has not allowed so far.

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/04/70c5ce6f-244c-4386-958f-cbacaae19adc.html