Human Rights in Belarus

This report, entitled Human Rights in Belarus, Report 2005, publishes the results of research carried out by the Belarusian Helsinki Committee (BHC). The BHC is an independent, non-partisan human rights public association, founded in 1995. Its main objective is to defend human rights in Belarus, as declared by the Helsinki Final Act and other international treaties. From 1997 the BHC is a member of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights, having consultative status with the United Nations and the Council of Europe. In 1998 the BHC was awarded an EU and US government award in recognition of achievements in promoting democratic values and a civil society. The aim of this report is to shed light on the Belarus government’s compliance with its international human rights obligations, and to highlight some of the problems related to the human dimension issues in the country. It should be noted that the principal emphasis of the BHC is on civil and political rights. (fragment)