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According to Bachelet, there have been hundreds of reports of torture or ill-treatment, including against children, in connection with the response of the Belarusian authorities to protests against Lukashenko’s disputed re-election as president.
“Given their magnitude and number, all allegations of torture and other ill-treatment by the security forces must be documented and investigated in order to bring the perpetrators to justice,” the commissioner said at the opening of a session of the Rights Council. Human Rights of the UN, which agreed to hold an urgent debate on the subject.
Bachelet said there have been reports of sexual violence, kidnappings of people linked to the opposition, targeting journalists.
“There is not much evidence that the government has taken any action on these reports,” he said.
AFP / “Scanpix” nuotr./Michelle Bachelet
“Restoring social peace in Belarus requires broad dialogue, reforms and accountability for serious human rights abuses,” Bahelet said.
At the request of the European Union, the UN Human Rights Council agreed to hold an urgent debate on the situation in Belarus on Friday.
In his request, German Ambassador Michael Freiherr von Ungern-Sternberg pointed to reports of “unprecedented attacks, torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of peaceful protesters, as well as harassment, intimidation and detention of opposition leaders.”
“The situation clearly warrants an urgent debate. The Human Rights Council cannot remain silent on this issue, “he said.
However, Belarusian Ambassador Juras Ambrazevičius called the proposal “a manipulation by the Council that has nothing to do with human rights” and said it was simply aimed at putting political pressure on Belarus.
This is only the sixth time in the 14-year history of the Council that it has agreed to hold a special urgent debate during a regular session of the Council.
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