02/07/2009 | President
PACE President Lluís Maria de Puig has expressed deep concern about the death sentence passed on a young man in Belarus on 29 June. "The death penalty is a flagrant violation of human rights. It does not serve, but denies justice. No crime could justify it. This is why the Assembly asked its Bureau on 23 June not to lift the suspension of the Belarus Parliament's special guest status until such time as a moratorium on executions has been introduced by the appropriate Belarus authorities," he said.
23/06/2009 | Session
The Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), meeting in plenary session in Strasbourg, today voted in favour of restoring the Special Guest status of the Belarusian Parliament, which has been suspended since 1997, with a view to "engaging in political dialogue with the authorities" while supporting "the strengthening of democratic forces and civil society". This status, however, could only be granted “after a moratorium on the execution of the death penalty is decreed”.
22/06/2009 | Session
In his opening address at the summer session, Lluís Maria de Puig said that he hoped the Assembly would adopt a resolution on Tuesday calling for the Belarusian parliament's Special Guest status to be restored. This was simply a first step and very strict conditions would be applied before even a second one could be contemplated, he said. Nevertheless, it was an “outstretched hand”, to the authorities and the opposition, both of whom would have the opportunity to take part in the Assembly's activities.
08/06/2009 | Political Affairs and Democracy
“We hope that this Infopoint will be the first significant sign of a new path in Belarus and a major change in the relations between the country and the Council of Europe,” said Andrea Rigoni (Italy, ALDE), PACE rapporteur on Belarus, at the opening ceremony of a new Information Point in Minsk. “Our greatest hope is that it will, ultimately, be able to contribute to the process of democratisation in this country and bring it into our organisation, which is the House of Democracy”.
26/05/2009 | Political Affairs and Democracy
PACE's Political Affairs Committee, meeting in Paris this morning, has come out unanimously in favour of restoring the Special Guest status of the Belarusian Parliament, which has been suspended since 1997, with a view to "engaging in political dialogue with the authorities" while supporting "the strengthening of democratic forces and civil society". The Assembly is to take a decision on the matter at its forthcoming summer plenary session (Strasbourg, 22-26 June).
25/05/2009 | Political Affairs and Democracy
During its meeting in Paris on Tuesday 26 May, PACE's Political Affairs committee is expected to adopt a report by Andrea Rigoni (Italy, ALDE) on the situation in Belarus. The committee will also hold an exchange of views on “threshold levels in parliamentary elections and their impact on representativity of parliaments”, the subject of a report being prepared by Hendrik Daems (Belgium, ALDE). The agenda also includes an item on the committee’s contribution to the draft code of good practice for civil participation in the decision-making process.
18/02/2009 | Political Affairs and Democracy
PACE rapporteur on Belarus, Andrea Rigoni (Italy, ALDE), has said he will propose restoring Special Guest status to a delegation from the country’s parliament – provided a mechanism can also be found to associate representatives of the extra-parliamentary opposition. Göran Lindblad (Sweden, EPP/CD), the head of a PACE delegation which has just ended a four-day visit to the country, said: “The Assembly wants to bring Belarus closer to Council of Europe standards. Isolation has been tried and it has not worked. Mr Rigoni’s proposal would allow the beginning of a structured dialogue, partly as a response to some positive developments in the country.”
12/02/2009 | Political Affairs and Democracy
A three-member PACE delegation will visit Minsk from 16 to 19 February 2009 to sound out the Belarusian authorities on the prospects for developing a constructive dialogue with the Council of Europe and its Assembly in the fields of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. The delegation is made up of Göran Lindblad (Sweden, EPP/CD), Chair of PACE’s Political Affairs Committee, Sinikka Hurskainen (Finland, SOC), Chair of the Sub-Committee on Belarus, and Andrea Rigoni (Italy, ALDE), the Assembly’s Rapporteur on the situation in Belarus.
28/11/2008 | Political Affairs and Democracy
"I very much welcome the decision of the Belarusian authorities to allow the printing of two independent newspapers – Narodnaya Volya and Nashe Niva – in Belarus and their distribution through the state network," the PACE rapporteur on Belarus Andrea Rigoni (Italy, ALDE) said today. "This is another tangible sign that the Belarusian leadership has a clear understanding of Europe’s expectations and is prepared to respond to them with actions, along the lines indicated in a recent non-paper by the Belarusian authorities on how to improve EU-Belarus relations."
15/10/2008 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Commenting today on the suspension of the visa ban against some high-ranking Belarusian officials, decided earlier this week by the EU Council for External Relations, PACE’s rapporteur on the situation in Belarus Andrea Rigoni said: “The European Union has made the right decision. Breaking the isolation of the Belarusian authorities will help Europe reach out to ordinary Belarusians and will eventually contribute to the spreading of European values both in society and in the political system.”
01/10/2008 | Political Affairs and Democracy
‘The conduct of the recent elections in Belarus have been yet another reason for concern’ commented today PACE rapporteur on the Situation in Belarus Andrea Rigoni (Italy, ALDE). Although PACE did not send an election observation mission, Mr Rigoni was able to form his own first-hand opinion over the conduct of the elections, having observed them in his national capacity as Italian parliamentarian. ‘Unfortunately, another opportunity for democracy has been missed in Belarus. It is quite unbelievable that, out of 110 constituencies, not one single opposition candidate was able to get elected.’
21/08/2008 | Political Affairs and Democracy
“I express my great satisfaction at the release of two more political prisoners in Belarus,” said PACE rapporteur Andrea Rigoni commenting on the release of Andrei Kim and Syarhei Parsyukevich, soon after the liberation of opposition leader Alexander Kozulin. “This second wave of releases builds on that which took place earlier this year. But I call on the Belarusian authorities this time to avoid any steps backwards: there must be no more political prisoners."