The report noted that as of July 2014 there are seven political prisoners: Mikalai Statkevich, Eduard Lobau, Mikalai Dziadok, Ihar Alinevich, Yauhien Vaskovich, Artsiom Prakapenka and Vasil Parfiankou.

Miklos Haraszti also recommends the Belarusian government to guarantee the independence of civil society organizations and human rights defenders, creating the conditions to enable them to work without fear of reprisal.

Among the other recommendations:

– To conduct a comprehensive review of the Belarusian legislation relating to freedom of association, and bring them in line with international standards;

– To repeal the article 193.1 of the Criminal Code (activity on behalf of unregistered organization);

– To remove all legal and administrative barriers to non-governmental and human rights organizations funding, including from abroad, and to bring the legislation governing the financing of NGOs, and practice in this area in line with the norms of international law;

– To revoke discretionary power of governmental bodies on issuing warnings against the NGO activities on the basis of which their activities can be stopped and activists can be punished;

– To register the Human Rights Centre “Viasna” and all the NGOs, who have been denied registration for political reasons;

– To stop campaign in the state media to discredit NGOs that criticize the government, and to promote objective coverage of their work in defense of human rights;

– To end harassment of the independent media and journalists by judiciary bodies;

– To stop the practice of creating obstacles for NGOs that implement their right to freedom of peaceful assembly, including demonstrations, pickets and flash mobs, as well as their persecution and punishment and to revise the legislation in this area in order to bring it in line with international norms and standards ;

– To create a safe and enabling environment for civil society, including human rights defenders, in particular by eliminating obstacles to the work of NGOs and civil society;

– To ensure the full protection of human rights defenders and NGOs from oppression, intimidation and violence, providing a prompt, thorough and transparent investigation of such actions, and to prosecute and punish those who commit it;

– To ensure LGBT minorities rights defenders their right to freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of association, so they are not prosecuted for exercising these rights and not threatened with violence, oppression, harassment, intimidation, or discrimination because of their sexual orientation;

– To make an effort to create national institution for Human Rights in accordance with the Paris Principles, in cooperation with all national NGOs wishing to speak out in defense of human rights.

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