Фото: t.me/latushka
Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet Pavel Latushka held a meeting with the PACE Special Rapporteur on Political Prisoners, Swedish parliamentarian Azadeh Rojhan. The meeting was also attended by PACE Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights Secretary Rafał Sokol and Secretary of the Coordination Council’s delegation to PACE Ksenia Lutskina.
The parties discussed the forthcoming PACE report on the situation of political prisoners in Belarus and recommendations for Council of Europe member states. Latushka handed the special rapporteur a report on the release of political prisoners and the situation of former political prisoners, and also provided information on the scale of transnational repression.
The meeting addressed issues related to assistance for released political prisoners, including funding for the International Humanitarian Fund, support for Libereco and other human rights organisations, and the invalidation of passports of former political prisoners deported from Belarus. The participants also discussed the need to speed up the issuance of legalisation documents for deported political prisoners in Council of Europe member states.
Latushka stressed that it was essential to advocate in Council of Europe member states for faster processing of legalisation documents for deported political prisoners.
The Belarusian side also drew attention to the mass deportation of former political prisoners and to the fact that those released who remain in Belarus are being forced to leave the country under pressure.
Azadeh Rojhan expressed readiness to help address the issues raised and said she saw no grounds to speak of a normalisation of the situation of political prisoners, as the list continues to grow while people inside the country remain under pressure. The documents provided during the meeting will be taken into account in the PACE special rapporteur’s report.