26/07/2021 Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Alexandra Louis (France, ALDE), General Rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on the situation of human rights defenders and former rapporteur on the human rights situation in Belarus, has condemned the new anti-NGO campaign in Belarus.
"Civil society in Belarus is in the crosshairs of the authorities. According to different sources, dozens of human rights organisations, and even charities supporting people with disabilities or seeking employment, have been raided or are already being dissolved," she said.
"The authorities clearly want to eliminate any opposition to the current government. This is unacceptable in a European state, a country at the heart of Europe. I call on all international players, including the International Accountability Platform for Belarus, to do their utmost to ensure that such human rights violations do not go unchecked.”