“Human
rights violations in Belarus require an international investigation”,
the Parliamentary Assembly invites the Committee of Ministers to:
1.1 invite Belarus to accede to
the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or
Degrading Treatment or Punishment (ETS No. 126);
1.2 examine the scope of application of universal jurisdiction
with a view to its use by Council of Europe member States to combat
impunity for perpetrators of serious human rights violations;
1.3 make the expertise of the Council of Europe available
to the co-ordination platform launched within the European Parliament,
particularly in the sphere of combating torture and protecting the freedom
of expression, association and the media;
1.4 demand, in its dealings with Belarus, the immediate release
of all political prisoners and an end to the campaign of repression
against protesters and their families and make any technical co-operation and
any movement towards the possible accession of Belarus to the Council
of Europe subject to these requirements;
1.5 explore ways for the Council of Europe to serve as a mediation
platform for the dialogue between the authorities and the opposition.
