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The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, Miklós Haraszti, says despite the admission of a token oppositionist there was no real difference between last Sunday’s parliamentary elections and all the previous ones carried out in Belarus.

The opposition now has one seat in Belarus, for the first time in 20 years, following the parliamentary elections on the 11th of September. Still, the election did not meet a number of key international standards for fair and free elections, observers say.

Belarusian citizens continue to appeal to the UN Human Rights Committee with complaints against cruel, inhuman treatment and torture. Recently, such complaint was sent to the Human Rights Committee by Tamara Sialiun, the mother of sentenced to death Pavel Sialiun.

On 13 September 2016 at 12:00 a press conference on the results of the parliamentary election, that is to take place in Belarus on 11 September 2016, will be held at the Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House.

The Belarusian Central Election Commission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus have not replied to a request asking to invite an ENEMO mission to observe the parliamentary elections.

На працягу многіх гадоў беларускія праваабаронцы адзначаюць недахоп пляцовак і сустрэч для абмеркавання важных пытанняў у галіне правоў чалавека. Беларускі дом правоў чалавека хацеў бы паспрабаваць крыху палепшыць гэтую сітуацыю і гатовы аказаць падтрымку праваабарончым арганізацыям і ініцыятывам у правядзенні публічных дыскусій у Беларусі па важных пытаннях правоў чалавека.

Five pro-government public associations are in fact organisers of election in Belarus. Such opinion was expressed by Valyantsin Stefanovich, the expert of the campaign “Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections”, when he was commenting on the difference between number of nominees to precinct election commissions from political parties and public associations.

Representatives of the Belarusian human rights community published a joint statement, according to which the criminal prosecution of Uladzimir Kondrus (in the photo) is politically motivated, and he is recognised as a political prisoner. The full text of the statement is reproduced below.

In early August human rights defenders reported that a man was arrested and held in custody for his alleged participation in the riots after the presidential elections in 2010.