New wave of arrests – UN Rapporteur about Freedom Day celebration in Belarus

A UN expert is calling on the Belarusiaj authorities to respect their human rights obligations and implement recommendations made over the past two decades.

“Last weekend, the authorities in Belarus again massively violated the right of citizens to assemble peacefully in the capital, Minsk, and elsewhere in the country. This shows both a symbolic and practical rejection by the country’s President for any progress on human rights,” The Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Belarus, Miklós Haraszti, said.

Demonstrators had gathered on Sunday, 25 March to mark the centenary of the independence of Belarus, Freedom Day. However, more than 100 peaceful marchers, political activists and journalists were either prevented from leaving their apartments or were detained during the rally.

Many were charged with failing to respect the procedure for organising a mass event under a much-criticised law which treats lack of authorisation for any public gathering as a crime.

Leading opponents and former candidates for the presidency were among a number of people subjected to pre-emptive house arrest a few days earlier on 21 March. Among them were former presidential candidate Mikalai Statkevich and prominent writer Uladzimir Nyaklyayeu.

“Reports that activists were arbitrarily detained in cities such as Babruysk, Brest, Slutsk and Mahiliou, should remind us that repression in Belarus is centrally planned and organised by the authorities,” Mr. Haraszti said.

“This unending wave of repression keeps society in a constant state of paralysis,” the Special Rapporteur stressed.

“In March last year, hundreds of individuals were arbitrarily detained and charged after taking part in unauthorised protests over a presidential decree that levied taxes on those unemployed for more than six months. Similarly, in October last year, a round of retaliation hit both alleged and actual participants of the so-called March of the Discontent.”

ІІ, belsat.eu, following ohchr.org

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