Today 4 December, Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu made a video statement at a discussion of the UN Human Rights Council on the human rights situation in Belarus. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet gave an oral update at the meeting.
The foreign minister said there was no indication that the authorities were investigating the thousands of reports of police brutality filed since mid-August or the killings of protesters, including, most recently, 31-year-old Raman Bandarenka. “Every Sunday, for nearly four months now, we are waiting with bated breath for news from Belarus. We are feeling solidarity with the brave protesters who stand for their rights and values and for the democratic future of their country,” Reinsalu said.
The foreign minister expressed concern over the deteriorating situation in Belarus. “The violent crackdowns by the authorities of Belarus on peaceful protesters continue and have in fact intensified,” Reinsalu said.
Repressions against journalists continue: since August 2020, the Belarusian Association of Journalists has recorded around 400 detentions of journalists, 77 were serving their arrest, 8 have become subject to criminal cases, 73 independent media outlets were blocked. Regular internet shutdowns continued during mass protests. Reinsalu also highlighted reports of professors and students who joined the protests being dismissed from universities, and the students being forced into military service.
The foreign minister assured that Estonia would continue keeping the international focus on what is happening in Belarus. “Just as the people of Belarus do not tire of standing up for their basic human rights and resisting violence, the international community must maintain its focus on what is going on in Belarus, monitor the situation closely and take action. We collectively have to ensure that the Belarusian people are given a voice. We have to keep on raising the issue in every possible fora,” Reinsalu said.
As an example, he talked about how the report made under the OSCE Moscow Mechanism on the initiative of Estonia and other countries was presented at the UN Security Council on 11 November and the UN on 2 December. The report by Wolfgang Benedek, a professor of international law, proves the falsification of the elections of Belarus and extensive violations of the human rights of peaceful protesters.
Photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmSyvbFx
Estonia’s statement in full: https://vm.ee/en/news/estonian-intervention-foreign-minister-urmas-reinsalu-un-human-rights-council-discussion
Additional information:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
Communication Department
[email protected]
