PACE resolution calls impose sanctions against Lukashenka’s regime
- 16.04.2008, 8:13
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe approved a resolution on Abuse of the criminal justice system in Belarus. By the approved resolution PACE calls on the European Union and the United States to impose new sanctions against Belarusian officials, responsible for serious abuses of human rights.
The resolution was approved by 56 votes in favour, 11 votes against and 2 abstentions.
The resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly calls on Belarus to set moratorium on death penalty, and abolish article 191-1 of the Criminal Code of Belarus, providing criminal responsibility for activity on behalf of unregistered organisation, Radio Svaboda reports.
The Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly called on human rights activists to record not only victims of politically motivated abuses, but people, guilty of such abuses. The PACE also calls on the EU and the U.S. to impose new sanctions against Belarusian officials, responsible for serious abuses of human rights. The PACE also calls on the countries-members of the Council of Europe to continue to support Belarusian political prisoners and their families.
The resolution also contains an appeal to the Government and State Duma of Russia to take the side of political prisoners and other victims of politically motivated abuses in the dialog with the Belarusian authorities.
The PACE resolution was adopted after Christos Pourgourides’s presentation of a report. The report says there have been many abuses in the criminal justice system of Belarus for the latest years. Some opposition representatives disappeared, peaceful demonstrators are beaten up by police, legal activity of non-governmental organisations was turned into criminal activity. Political opponents of Alyaksandr Lukashenka face absurd accusations and unjust trials.
The PACE Committee on Legal Affairs called to stop this practice and abolish unjust laws. The resolution also contains an appeal to judges, prosecutors and police officers in Belarus to show personal courage and imagination to mitigate the worst effects of its unjust laws.
Christos Pourgourides emphasised the isolation of Belarus is a fault of the Belarusian regime itself. As Mr Pourgourides thinks, the Council of Europe will compromise itself, if it starts a dialog with the official Minsk at the time when the Belarusian authorities are violating human rights and don’t fulfil the main demands of the united Europe.
“Our duty as the Council of Europe,” Pourgourides said, “is to support opposition and civil society in the countries under dictatorship.” Responding the severe critics of his report by Russia’s representatives, Mr Pourgourides stressed he didn’t hear anything proving the facts recorded in the report were incorrect.
When a Russian participants of the discussion said Alyaksandr Kazulin needed just to file a petition for pardon to be released, Christos Pourgourides expressed an opinion Kazulin was not guilty and shouldn’t ask for pardon.