Opinion | Doc. 12503 | 26 January 2011
The situation in Belarus in the aftermath of the presidential election
Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights
A. Conclusions of the committee
(open)The Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights welcomes the Political Affairs Committee’s report on the situation in Belarus in the aftermath of the presidential election and fully subscribes to all the points made in the draft resolution. In order to further strengthen the text, it suggests adding some specific points concerning legal and human rights matters, including references to the continuing failure to investigate high-profile disappearance cases, which were already the subject of a report of the Parliamentary Assembly, and to the use of “smart sanctions” against those personally responsible for the repression.
B. Proposed amendments
(open)Amendment A (to the draft resolution)
In the draft resolution, after paragraph 6.6, add the following new sub-paragraph:
“hold to account the alleged perpetrators of the disappearances of Yuri Zakharenko, Victor Gonchar, Anatoly Krasovsky and Dmitri Zavadsky in line with Resolution 1371 (2004).”
Amendment B (to the draft resolution)
In the draft resolution, after paragraph 6.6, add the following new sub-paragraph:
“declare a moratorium on executions as the first step towards the abolition of the death penalty, in line with Resolution 1671 (2009).”
Amendment C (to the draft resolution)
In the draft resolution, after paragraph 7, add the following new paragraph:
“The Assembly is also convinced of the usefulness of smart sanctions targeting those personally responsible for the most flagrant acts of repression, provided they are inflicted following a fair and transparent procedure. It therefore invites all Council of Europe member states, including those which are not members of the European Union, to join the European Union’s targeted sanctions against Belarusian officials.”
Amendment D (to the draft resolution)
In the draft resolution, after paragraph 8.4, add the following new sub-paragraph:
“encourage and support efforts to collect and preserve evidence against perpetrators of serious human rights violations in view of targeted sanctions and future criminal prosecutions.”
C. Explanatory memorandum by Mr Pourgourides, rapporteur for opinion
(open)Amendment A
Amendment B
Amendment C
Amendment D