A UN special reporter was banned entry to the country because his mission is to collect information about the human rights in Belarus. Instead, he will visit the Baltic states where he is going to meet representatives of the government and other governmental and nongovernmental organizations. (19-SEP-05)
Adrian Severin, a special reporter of the UN Committee for human rights, is going to visit Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in September, 18-24 to collect information about the human rights situation in Belarus.
Mr. Severin, the former Foreign Minister of Romania was appointed a special UN reporter for human rights in Belarus in July, 2004. However, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Belarus officially refused to cooperate with the special reporter and forbade him the country. Mr. Severin will start his visit to the Baltic states from Tallin where he is going to meet the representatives of the government, the Association of Belarusians in Estonia, and nongovernmental organizations.
On the following day, September, 19, Mr. Severin is going to meet the members of the Lithuanian government and the European Union. In Yurmala Mr. Severin will be the chair of a “round table” that will continue for two days and will deal with the problems of the human rights in Belarus. In Lithuania, Mr. Severin is going to take part in a seminar devoted to Belarus. UN Parliamentary Assembly and the Lithuanian Seim will act as hosts.
In April, the member-states of the UN Committee have adopted a resolution that condemns violation of the human rights in Belarus and prolonged the mandate of Mr. Severin for a year. The resolution expressed deep concern of the process of organizing and conducting elections in Belarus, arbitrary arrests and detentions, persecuting and closing nongovernmental organizations independent of the Media, oppositional political parties, RIA “Novosty” reports.
