UN chief: Belarusians must be able to exercise their ‘civil and political rights’

Closely following the developments in Belarus, Secretary-General António Guterres underlined the importance of enabling all Belarusians to “exercise their civil and political rights”.

Following the announcement that authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko – who has ruled since 1994 – had a landslide victory in last week’s presidential election, largely peaceful protests erupted throughout the country, prompting a heavy crackdown by the security forces.

The UN chief said that Belarusians must be permitted to express their views peacefully “in accordance with the law” and that the authorities must “show restraint in responding to demonstrations”.

Moreover, he upheld that “allegations of torture and other mistreatment of people under detention must be thoroughly investigated”.

The Secretary-General concluded by calling on Belarusians to “address post-election grievances through dialogue to preserve peace in the country”.

Throughout the week, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has castigated the Belarusian authorities for unwarranted aggression.

The UN human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, condemned the authorities’ violence, reminding the authorities that “the use of force during protests should always be exceptional and a measure of last resort”.

Original source: UN News