International rights groups criticize abolition of UN rapporteurs for Belarus and Cuba

International human rights watchdogs criticized the decision by the UN Human Rights Council to abolish the mandates of special raporteurs for Belarus and Cuba. The Freedom House described the decision as "a major blow to the ability of the Council to control systematic human rights abuses in those countries".

The Reporters Without Borders named the abolishment of the mandates as "a paradoxal situation which displays how difficult it is for true human rights defenders to work within the council".

The organization reminded that In May 2007 Belarus was not approved as a member country of the UN Human Rights Council due to numerous human rights violations, reports Belapan.