Ales Bialiatski, chairman of the Human Rights Center Viasna and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, emphasized the importance of independent experts and the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Belarus. He made the statement at the event “Give Voice to the Victims: The Human Rights Situation in Belarus,” held on the sidelines of the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council. The event was organized by the UN missions of Lithuania, Poland, Norway and Sweden.
“This is my first international visit. During the side event I stressed that Belarus needs both a group of independent experts on the human rights situation in Belarus and the Special Rapporteur on Belarus. Even during numerous crises around the world, it is important that Belarus remains at the center of international attention, as the human rights situation in the country continues to deteriorate. Every day we record new cases of political repression and the number of political prisoners keeps growing. Therefore, it is important to systematically continue our work at the international level, including documenting all violations so that this may later help bring those responsible to justice,” Bialiatski was quoted as saying by Viasna.
The purpose of the event was to draw attention to systematic human rights violations in Belarus and the repression of human rights defenders, journalists and civil society. Representatives of the international community, including ambassadors from various countries, took part.
One of the key topics discussed was the need to extend the mandates of the Special Rapporteur and the Group of Independent Experts, as international monitoring and a strong investigative mandate remain crucial for documenting violations and ensuring justice for victims, Viasna said.
