As already indicated in previous replies to Parliamentary Assembly recommendations, the Committee of Ministers strongly encourages the Belarusian authorities to initiate structural and legislative reforms in line with the Council of Europe standards in the core areas which form the basis of the Organisation: democracy, human rights and the rule of law. In this regard, the Committee of Ministers recalls that a crucial step to be made by Belarus towards aligning itself to Council of Europe principles and values, allowing for closer co-operation with the Organisation, would be the immediate suspension and the subsequent abolition in law of the death penalty. In the same context, the Committee of Ministers shares the Assembly’s opinion that Belarus should bring its criminal justice system in line with Council of Europe norms and standards and in the meantime should cease from using this system for political purposes.
In Masty the activists of the For Freedom movement have started a campaign against the unlawful dactilography of the population, after all men started receiving writs to Masty district police department for giving their fingerprints to the police.
On 11 February in Sapotskin, Hrodna region, leaflets have emerged with a call to Belarusian Poles to finance the congress of the Union of Poles in Belarus on 14-15 March. The appeal was signed by the chairperson of the Union of Poles in disgrace.
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