UN HRC Finds Violation of the Rights of the Abducted Politician Yury Zakharanka
Human rights defender Aleh Volchak, head of the BDC Raisa Mikhayloouskaya, lawyer of the BDC Tatsiana Aheyeva, press conference, April 13
The UN HRC considers that Belarus, being a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, violated the rights of Yury Zakharanka according to articles 6 (the right to life), 7 (ban on tortures and inhuman treatment), 9 (the right to liberty and personal security) of the Pact. In regard to the politician’s relatives, the Committee found the violation of the right to be protected from turtures (art. 7 of the ICCPR).
The decision of the UN HRC obliges the Belarus state to hold an effective investigation, to give an adequate assessment on its results, and in the end, to prosecute judicially and found accountable the persons guilty of the abduction of Yury Zakharanka. Also, the decision obliges to ensure an adequate compensation to the politician’s relatives.
Lawyer of the Belarusian Documentation Center Tatsiana Aheyeva, one of the contributors to the complaint, remarked that after having the official translation of the decision, the Center would forward appeal to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Investigative Committee, the General prosecutor’s office, and other agencies, asking to ensure implementation.
The head of the BDC Raisa Mikhaylouskaya informed that several days before one more individual message had been forwarded to the UN HRC on behalf of Uliyana Zakharanka. The appeal relates to the case on admitting Yury Zakharanka dead. The mother reasons her right to judicial proceedings which the Republic of Belarus is not able to ensure.
We remind that the investigation of the criminal case on the abduction of Yury Zakharanka has been suspended for quite a long time, the existing investigation activities are not valid. All the work that the investigation body does limits itself to regular prolongation of the term of preliminary investigation for three months, of which the politician’s relatives are regularly informed. The BDC has 34 such official replies, all of them are almost identical. The UN HRC recognized the violation of the rights of the abducted politician Yury Zakharanka.
