Delegation of human rights defenders in Geneva

The head of the Human Rights Center Viasna Ales Bialiatski, the deputy head of Viasna Valiantsin Stefanovich and the head of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Aleh Hulak have come to Zheneva within the frames of preparation to presentation at the UN Human Rights Council of the Universal Periodical Report on Belarus.

The human rights activists have already held a number of meetings with national delegations of the member-countries of the UN Human Rights Council and representatives of the Offices of the Special Rapporteurs on the situation of human rights defenders, independence of the court system and the UN Human Rights Committee.

At these meetings the human rights defenders spoke about the development of the situation o human rights in Belarus, including the recent abductions of youth activists by security services of Belarus.

On 8 December there was a briefing at the Palace of Nations where the human rights defenders presented an alternative periodical report and passed it to the UN Human Rights Council. The hearings on the UPR that was presented by the Belarusian authorities are scheduled for May 2010. Human rights defenders will continue their activities on working out recommendations to the Belarusian authorities concerning the UPR procedure.