BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

12/06/2007

Belarus condemned by UN human rights rapporteur

Geneva - Human rights continue to deteriorate, protection mechanisms are weak and opposition politicians are still being hounded in Belarus, members of the UN Human Rights Council were told Tuesday.

Special rapporteur Adrian Severin said in presenting his findings in Geneva that little had changed in the country since his last report in 2006.

'I am afraid the political system of Belarus seems to be incompatible or at least seems to have difficulties with the concept of human rights as enshrined in the UN charter,' said Severin.

The country, censured for its human rights record in March by the UN General Assembly, caused a storm of protest in May when it stood as a candidate for the Human Rights Council but failed to win enough votes.

The UN has expressed 'deep concern' at the persistent harassment and prosecution of individuals, opposition groups, media outlets and religious groups, and at the closure of non-government organizations.

Severin criticized the lack of independence of the legal system where the punishments handed out were often 'totally disproportionate' to the crimes committed. He also condemned the excessive use of force by police and pointed out Belarus was the last country in Europe to apply the death penalty.

Belarus replied in the Council, accusing Severin of political bias and of distorting the facts. It also condemned the system of special rapporteurs which it said was 'a vestige of the politicization' which existed at the Human Rights Commission, the forerunner to the Council, and called for them to be scrapped.

Belarus, the Russian Federation and other countries have led calls for the rapporteurs with country specific mandates to be abolished, accusing them of being too political. The system, heavily defended by EU member states, is being overhauled by the Council.

2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

Source:

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/europe/news/article_1316443.php/Belarus_condemned_by_UN_human_rights_rapporteur

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