Brussels, 17/06/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 14 June, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton and Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Füle welcomed the adoption the previous day of a resolution by the United Nations Human Rights Council on human rights in Belarus. The resolution criticises the situation in Belarus - including the persecution of human rights defenders and the intimidation of the political opposition and journalists.
Welcoming the extension - for one year - of the mandate of the UN special rapporteur on Belarus, Miklos Harszti, “who will continue to report independently and in a balanced manner, and provide recommendations to the Belarusian authorities on the human rights situation in the country”, Ashton and Füle “urged” the Belarusian authorities to cooperate fully with him - which they are not currently doing.
Ashton and Füle also “deeply” regretted that the day before the adoption of the resolution another person was condemned to death, and they hoped that his right to appeal would be fully respected. They again urged Belarus to set up a moratorium on capital punishment.
The resolution was adopted by 26 votes to 3, with 18 abstentions. (CG/transl.fl)