07/10/2011 News
In a report declassified today, an ad hoc committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) retraces the events of 19 December 2010, following the presidential election in Belarus, which gave rise to violent repression of a protest movement and led to the arrest of 600 people. The report also lists the 63 persons arrested, prosecuted and/or convicted as a consequence of their participation in the demonstration of 19 December 2010, and it condemns the various forms of persecution to which members of civil society have been subjected.
The PACE ad hoc committee deplores the fact that, to date, six people, including two candidates for the presidency in 2010, remain in prison. It is also concerned by alleged threats – including death threats – against the persons remaining in detention. It therefore urges the authorities of Belarus to release these people immediately and ensure that all convictions are erased from the criminal records of the persons concerned. PACE will be unable to entertain contacts with the authorities of Belarus as long as all the persons mentioned in the report have not been released from prison and tangible progress has been made towards Council of Europe standards, including freedom of assembly and association.
The PACE ad hoc committee also points out to the authorities of Belarus that, in accordance with PACE Resolution 1790 (2011), they should "conduct a transparent investigation into the abusive and disproportionate use of force by police […] against the demonstrators".