Ales Bialiatski to speak at a session of the UN Human Rights Council

Ales Bialiatski, vice-President of the International Federation for Human Rights, chairman the Human Rights Centre “Viasna”, closed by the Belarusian authorities, will take the floor at the 28th session of the Human Rights Council of the United Nations, which runs March 2-27 in Geneva.

As stated to BelaPAN by Deputy Chairman of "Viasna" Valiantsin Stefanovich, Ales Bialiatski went to Geneva on March 3 and will return on March 7.

On the eve of the session of the Human Rights Council the International Federation for Human Rights issued a statement in which he drew the Council's attention to the deteriorating human rights situation in Belarus.

As noted in a statement, "systematic, gross and widespread human rights violations continue to be of concern". In 2013-2014, based on documented facts the Federation concluded that violations of economic and social rights in the country, including workers' rights, were as serious as violations of civil and political rights.

Representatives of the International Federation for Human Rights will participate in the activities of the current session of the HRC. March 6, they will hold a briefing on the case of Ales Bialiatski, whose main purpose is to "strengthen the offensive movement and support the actions of the Council in favor of human rights in Belarus within the framework of the Universal Periodic Review".

This year, on May 4 the situation in Belarus will be considered within the procedure of the UN Universal Periodic Review and discussed in June, at the 29th session of the Human Rights Council.