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HRC 52 - Vote on Situation of Human Rights in Belarus - 04 April 2023
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8:52
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Teleprompter
Now we will continue with the draught proposal of 14 entitled Situation of Human rights in Belarus in the run up to the 2020 presidential elections and it's aftermath.
Sweden is going to introduce the text on behalf of the European Union.
Sweden, who have the floor?
On behalf of the European Union, I have the honour to present to this Council a draught resolution L14 entitled Situation of human rights in Belarus in the run up to the 2020 presidential election and in its aftermath.
We deeply regret that, after two years since the Council established this resolution, the human rights situation continued to deteriorate in Belarus.
The **** Commissioner last week spoke about systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations being committed.
This confirms the importance of the continued independent monitoring and examination of the ongoing human rights violations in order to contribute to accountability for perpetrators.
In the past year, the number of arbitrary detentions and the rests of peaceful protesters reached an unprecedented precedented scale.
Belarus currently holds over 1462 political prisoners, including children, and continues with the mass eradication of independent media and civil society organisations and with politically motivated repressions.
We are shocked by the widespread and systematic excessive use of force, torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment by the Belarusian authorities against peaceful protesters and persons.
Detained detainees are deprived of their right to fair trial, instead being sentenced to politically motivated, harsh and lengthy prisons terms.
We are also concerned about the over 100 documented cases of sexual and gender based violence against detainees.
Consequently, thousands of people have already been forced to flee the country to avoid prosecution to this state.
Belarus has completely failed to conduct effective investigations into those violations and to bring justice for victims.
Such a lack of independence of judiciary and denial of due process and fair trial guarantees are unacceptable.
Belarus withdrawal from the individual complaints procedure under the Optional Protocol of the ICC PR has been another blow to justice.
Given the scale and severity of the human rights violations committed in Belarus, total lack of accountability and in the light of another election coming up next year, it is indispensable that the Council continues its scrutiny.
We would like to express our gratitude to all delegations that have engaged in the negotiation process and participated in the open, transparent and inclusive consultations conducted on the draught text of the resolution.
With this, we call upon all members of this Council to support the adoption of the resolution.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you and now let me inform the council that we have additional 7 Co sponsors.
Let us proceed with the country concerned.
Bellos, you have the floor.
Thank you President, submitting this resolution on just as two years ago related to human rights in my what lies behind this resolution is the geopolitical interests of you have tried to exploit the electoral campaign of 2020 and to stir up anti government protests to undermine the state and to interfere in Belarus.
Revolution in government to justify legal sanctions against Belarus and there is no international treaty to interfere in the sovereign state under the pretext of human rights.
My country.
Bright future and social As President Naroshenko said in an address to the people, these are our democratic and we will uphold Belarus international obligation in the area of human rights of international mechanisms monitoring situations around the world, but these mechanisms must be objected with the provisions of international.
About social economic policy and relevant.
[Other language spoken]
And there is an independent.
Decisions of the UN General Assembly Commissioner and Council.
We call on Council members to vote against this resolution.
[Other language spoken]
At the request of the delegation of China, the Council will now proceed to a recorded vote on draught proposal L4 in 14, and I ask the Secretary to open the voting machine.
I'm asking the locations to register their votes.
Please check whether your votes are accurately registered and reflected on the screen, and if that is the case, I'm asking the Secretariat to close the voting machine and the voting is now closed.
The results of the recorded vote votes are as follows.
21 in favour, 5 against and 21 abstentions.
Draught proposal L 14 is therefore adopted.
Copies of the results of the votes will shortly be uploaded on the extranet.