The Human Rights Committee of the Conference of INGOs supports the peaceful protesters in Belarus and calls for TRUTH, TRUST AND RECONCILIATION.
As the Foreign Affairs Ministers of European Union underlined, the Belarusian Presidential elections that took place on 9 August “were neither free nor fair”[1].. To this day, nobody knows the exact and real results of Sunday’s election. The authorities of Belarus did not invite the internationally recognised bodies to observe the election[2].
By taking to the streets, thousands of Belarusians have shown that they have had enough of living under the dehumanizing regime. Factory workers, security forces, people from all walks of life and especially mothers and wives are currently, a week after the election, involved in massive protests in all major cities of the country.
These protests have led to the use of excessive and arbitrary force by the police and security services. Thousands of protesters and passersby were taken to detention centers (unknown to family and friends), outside of which the screams of tortured persons could be heard. After their release, many were able to show the injuries they had sustained. There have been at least 3 deaths in this violence as of 16 August.
THE POSITION OF WOMEN IN THIS CONFLICT
Amnesty International reports that “Women are disproportionately affected by the severe clampdown on human rights in Belarus, where the authorities have been flagrantly disregarding the country’s human rights obligations ahead of the August 2020 presidential election. Women are subjected to gender-based stereotyping and discrimination grounded in patriarchal notions of gender roles which present them as “vulnerable” and “weak”, deny them control over their bodies and reductively frame them in caring or parental roles and responsibilities. It is also evident in the run-up to the August presidential election that women are often targeted by the authorities in gender-specific ways” [3].
Since women have a leading role in consolidating the opposition, protesting and demanding their sons and spouses back from prison, they should be protected against further repression.
NEED FOR STRONG INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY AND CALL FOR A REAL CHANGE
The Conference of INGOs through its Human Rights Committee expresses its solidarity with the peaceful protesters in Belarus. We call all stakeholders concerned, both institutional and citizens around the world, to support the Belarusian people as they strive to see Human Rights, the Rule of Law and European democratic values fully implemented in their country.
Although Belarus is not a member of the Council of Europe, it is co-operating in several Council of Europe programmes. The Conference of INGOs has hosted several delegations of Belarusian civil society during its sessions. It will stay in contact and join its efforts for full implementation of human rights and the abolition of the death penalty in Belarus.
Today, we call upon the public authorities of Belarus to stop all violence against peaceful protesters and release ALL persons detained in the wake of the recent election. The right to free elections, freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, are the pillars of the democratic State and society and must be upheld.
We call for an open dialogue with civil society, with the opposition, with all those parties that can help to restore Democracy, Rule of Law and the respect for Human Rights in Belarus in the forthcoming peaceful democratic developments.
There is no peaceful future without truth, trust and reconciliation.
_______________________________________________________________________
[1] Video conference of Foreign Affairs Ministers: Main outcomes, Brussels, 14/08/2020
