Human rights defenders: the situation in Belarus remains stably bad
On 10 December the
international community celebrates another anniversary of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The document was
adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 1948. The Human
Rights Day has been officially marked since 1950. The Declaration
became a universally accepted norm, towards the implementation of
which the people of all countries should strive, taking into account
the fact that this document is a large step forwards on the
humanity's way of progress.
“The
situation of human rights in Belarus is “stably bad”,” the
human rights defender Valiantsin Stefanoavich stated to BelaPAN. “The
country's authorities restrict the fundamental civil and political
freedoms – freedom of peaceful assemblies, assembly, expression,
participation in the government through free, democratic and fair
elections, and son on,” emphasized Mr. Stefanovich.
A
special concern is caused by the fact that the Belarusian authorities
“”openly demonstrate disrespect to the international commitments
in the sphere of human rights protection, voluntary undertaken by
Belarus within the framework of UN and OSCE”.
This concern
is shared by the head of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Aleh
Hulak. “The state ignores its international undertakings in the
sphere of human rights. In particular, recently the authorities have
refused to cooperate with the UN Human Rights Committee,” he
pointed.
“Pitifully enough, the situation can be
characterized by the medical term “stably bad”, as nothing
changes to the better in respect of human rights in Belarus. The
country constantly has political prisoners, there are huge problems
with the realization of civil and political rights and freedoms and
the instruments for their realization,” added Mr. Hulak.
The
human rights defenders intend to continue their activities. According
to Stefanovich, solidarity actions with political prisoners will take
place on 10 December all over Belarus, as well as actions aimed at
informing the Belarusian community about the real situation of human
rights in the country. “We addressed our colleagues with the call
to hold them and proposed them to chose the forms on their own. It
can be writing letters to prisoners of conscience, meetings,
demonstration of human rights films, etc. I know that an outdoor
lecture on human rights defenders is planned in Vitsebsk,” said
Valiantsin Stefanovich.
This day Belarusian human rights
defenders will also discuss the situation of human rights in Minsk at
a human rights conference, will present awards for exceptional
achievements in the sphere of human rights in three nominations:
“Human rights defender of the year 2012”, “Counsel of the year
2012” and “Journalist of the year 2012”. They will also sum up
the results of a contest of hand-made production dedicated to human
rights issues.