A/HRC/RES/44/19
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
23 July 2020
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Forty-fourth session
30 June–17 July 2020
Agenda item 4
Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention
Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council
on 17 July 2020
44/19.
Situation of human rights in Belarus
The Human Rights Council,
Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, the
provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenants on
Human Rights and other applicable human rights instruments,
Recalling all resolutions adopted by the Commission on Human Rights, the General
Assembly and the Human Rights Council on the situation of human rights in Belarus,
including Council resolution 41/22 of 12 July 2019, and regretting the inadequate response
and lack of cooperation by the Government of Belarus to the requests made by the Council
in those resolutions, including on access of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human
rights in Belarus and other special procedure mandate holders to the country, while
acknowledging the growing openness of Belarus to cooperation with the Office for
Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe, the Council of Europe, the European Union and bilateral partners,
Recalling also Human Rights Council resolutions 5/1 and 5/2 of 18 June 2007,
1.
in Belarus;1
Welcomes the report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights
2.
Expresses continued concern at the situation of human rights and fundamental
freedoms in Belarus, especially the undue restrictions and prohibitively burdensome
processes relating to the exercise of freedoms of peaceful assembly, association and
expression, resulting in the harassment of civil society organizations and trade unions and
the detention of human rights defenders, members of the opposition, journalists and media
workers, and of other members of civil society;
3.
Expresses grave concern at the arbitrary detention and arrest of and the fines
imposed on journalists and other media workers for performing their professional activities,
human rights defenders, bloggers and other members of civil society, and at the
disproportionate and discriminatory restrictions on freedom of opinion and expression, such
as the entry into force of legislative amendments introducing further restrictions on online
media, and calls upon the Government of Belarus and all authorities to fully respect, protect
1
A/HRC/44/55.
GE.20-09805(E)