U.S. Department of State: Belarus remains authoritarian
The department has published an annual human rights report for 2012.
Our citizens’ inability to replace the authorities is the top problem for Belarus, the document says. The government is not limited in any way and keeps rudely violating citizens’ rights and liberties. There are political prisoners in the country and the cases of politically motivated disappearance of the regime’s opponents have not been investigated by the authorities so far.
The U.S. Department of State also pointed at facts of police power abuse during peaceful manifestations. Tortures and hard treatment are still used in prisons and the living conditions have remained bad there.
According to the report, the Belarusian authorities arrested and jailed people for criticizing state officials, participation in manifestations and for other political reasons in 2012.
The judicial power lacked efficiency and suffered from political interference: court’s decisions were often predetermined and many hearings were closed or held in absentia, the report says.
The Belarusian authorities kept restricting civil liberties including the freedom of speech, press, assembly, association, religion and movement. Facts of confiscation of printed publications from civil activists and independent mass media were registered. Obstacles to information distribution were created.
The U.S. Department of State drew attention to the persecution of human rights activists, NGOs, political parties and independent trade unions. It criticized the state’s inertness in dealing with officials who had violated human rights, BelaPAN reports.
