Situation of Human Rights in Belarus

A/RES/61/175View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 67c Human rights situations and reports of special rapporteurs and representatives, published in 2007.

What other versions does this mandate have?

18 versions · 2007–2026

This is an older version — the most recent is A/HRC/RES/61/26

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2026	A/HRC/RES/61/26	Situation of human rights in Belarus	3,030	84%Compare
2025	A/HRC/RES/58/19	Situation of human rights in Belarus	2,962	68%Compare
2024	A/HRC/RES/55/27	Situation of human rights in Belarus	2,905	19%Compare
2023	A/HRC/RES/53/19	Situation of human rights in Belarus	2,286	69%Compare
2022	A/HRC/RES/50/20	Situation of human rights in Belarus	1,851	63%Compare

What’s in this document?

18 operative paragraphs

Expresses deep concern:

About the failure of the Government of Belarus to cooperate fully with all the mechanisms of the Human Rights Council, in particular with the special rapporteurs on the situation of human rights in Belarus, while noting the serious concern relating to the deterioration of the human rights situation in Belarus expressed by seven independent human rights experts of the United Nations in a statement issued on 29 March 2006;

That in spite of detailed recommendations by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and dialogue between the Government and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe following previous elections, Belarus again failed to meet its commitments to hold free and fair elections, including through the arbitrary use of State power against opposition candidates, routine harassment, the detention and arrest of political and civil society activists, the obstruction of the access of opposition candidates to State media, the negative portrayal in the State media of opposition candidates and activists, including human rights defenders, and the serious shortcomings of the vote count, which lacked minimum transparency;

About continuing reports of harassment, arbitrary arrest and detention of up to one thousand persons, including opposition candidates, before and after the election of 19 March 2006;

About the continuing and expanding criminal prosecutions, lack of due process and closed political trials of leading opposition figures and human rights defenders;

About the continuing harassment and detention of Belarusian journalists covering local opposition demonstrations, and that senior officials of the Government of Belarus were implicated in the enforced disappearance and/or summary execution of three political opponents of the incumbent authorities in 1999 and of a journalist in 2000 and in the continuing investigatory cover-up, as documented in the report adopted in resolution 1371 (2004) of 28 April 2004 by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe;¹⁶

¹⁶See Council of Europe, Parliamentary Assembly, document 10062.

About the decision of the Belarusian authorities to revoke the teaching licence of the European Humanities University in Minsk and to terminate the lease of its buildings, forcing the University in Belarus to close down;

About persistent reports of harassment and closure of non-governmental organizations, national minority organizations, independent media outlets, religious groups, opposition political parties, independent trade unions and independent youth and student organizations, and the harassment and prosecution of individuals, including students engaged in the promotion and protection of human rights, the rule of law and democracy;

Urges the Government of Belarus:

To bring the electoral process and legislative framework into line with international standards, especially those of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, demonstrate such commitment through the upcoming local elections in January 2007 and rectify the shortcomings of the electoral process, identified by the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights in its report of 7 June 2006, including, inter alia, election laws and practices that restrict campaigning opportunities for de facto opposition candidates, arbitrary application of electoral laws, including on registration of candidates, obstruction of the right of access to the media, biased presentation of the issues by the State media and falsification of vote counts;

To cease politically motivated prosecution, harassment and intimidation of political opponents, pro-democracy activists and human rights defenders, students, independent media, religious organizations, educational institutions and civil society actors; and to cease the harassment of students and to create the conditions whereby they can continue their studies in Belarus;

To respect the rights to freedom of speech, assembly and association and to release immediately all political prisoners and other individuals detained for exercising those rights;

To suspend from their duties officials implicated in any case of enforced disappearance, summary execution and torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, pending investigation of those cases, and to ensure that all necessary measures are taken to investigate fully and impartially such cases and to bring the alleged perpetrators to justice before an independent tribunal, and, if found guilty, to ensure that they are punished in accordance with the international human rights obligations of Belarus;

To investigate and hold accountable those responsible for the mistreatment and detention of domestic and foreign journalists in connection with the election of 19 March 2006 and post-election demonstrations;

To uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief, including the ability to maintain communications with individuals and communities in matters of religion and belief at the national and international levels;

To investigate and hold accountable those responsible for the mistreatment, arbitrary arrest and incarceration of civic and political activists leading up to and following the presidential election of March 2006 and to release immediately and unconditionally all political prisoners;

To carry out all other steps called for by the Commission on Human Rights in its resolution 2005/13;Error: Reference source not found

Insists that the Government of Belarus cooperate fully with all the mechanisms of the Human Rights Council, in particular with the Special Rapporteur appointed pursuant to Commission on Human Rights resolution 2004/14Error: Reference source not found and whose mandate was extended in Commission resolution 2005/13, as well as with the Representative of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe on freedom of the media.

Situation of Human Rights in Belarus

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