A group of 35 member countries of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) decided to use the Vienna Mechanism in connection with serious violations of human rights in Belarus.
Neil Bush, UK Permanent Representative to the OSCE, who presented the statement, noted that the participating countries are still concerned about serious human rights violations and abuses taking place in Belarus.
In November 2020, the special rapporteur appointed to the OSCE Moscow Mechanism, Vgang Benedek, presented a report on the situation in Belarus, according to the August 2020 presidential elections were neither free nor fair, and the security forces committed “massive and systematic” violations of human rights and basic freedoms.
According to Neil Bush, with the publication of the message of the Moscow Mechanism, the situation at the moment Belarus was not accepted in it, in connection with which it was decided to activate the Vienna Mechanism.
The statement expresses concern over such problems as the infringement of press freedom and freedom, arbitrary arrests, persecution of the opposition, the use of torture and the situation with migrants at the borders of Belarus.
Under the Vienna Mechanism, participating States require a report on measures taken in relation to arrears.
US Representative to the OSCE Courtney Ostrian in her statement stressed that Washington “continues to be the continuing repressive actions of the Lukashenka regime to suppress dissent and civil society.”
“We report that by providing substantive answers to questions from the Vienna Mechanism,” she said.
The initiative was supported by Austria, Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Hungary, Germany, Greece, Denmark, Ireland, Iceland, Spain, Italy, Canada, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, North Macedonia , Slovakia, Slovenia, USA, Ukraine, Finland, France, Croatia, Montenegro, Czech Republic, Switzerland and Estonia.