A/HRC/RES/44/19 and fulfil their obligations in accordance with international human rights law, in particular the freedoms of expression through any form of media, peaceful assembly and association, which are of particular importance in the context of the presidential campaign for the election scheduled to be held in 2020; 4. Urges the Belarusian authorities to guarantee a free, fair and transparent presidential election on 9 August 2020, and to take all reasonable measures to facilitate a peaceful process, in accordance with the State’s international obligations and commitments, including, inter alia, those under article 25 (b) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; 5. Expresses continued concern at reported poor conditions in prisons and detention centres, and also at allegations of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment by law enforcement and prison officers, which have not been properly investigated by the authorities despite the fact that the State accepted relevant recommendations during the second cycle of the universal periodic review, and regrets that, though being a State party to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Belarus has not implemented it; 6. Deplores the lack of response by the Government of Belarus to cases of arbitrary arrest and detention of political and social activists, the unwillingness of prosecutors to investigate cases of torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, the impunity of perpetrators of crimes involving human rights violations and abuses, the pressure on defence lawyers and the lack of effective legal remedies, and also deplores the discrimination particularly affecting speakers of the Belarusian language and individuals belonging to vulnerable groups and religious minorities; 7. Reiterates its call upon the Government of Belarus to carry out a comprehensive review of relevant legislation, policies, strategies and practices to ensure that the provisions are clearly defined, consistent with its international human rights obligations and commitments, and are not used to impede or unduly restrict the exercise of any human right, and to invest in capacity-building and appropriate training of the judiciary and law enforcement agencies; 8. Notes the concern expressed by the Special Rapporteur with regard to children sentenced for drug-related offences, and stresses the need for the best interests of the child to be taken into account, while welcoming the application of the Act on Amnesty signed into law on 18 May 2020 also to underage citizens, pregnant women, single parents, persons with disabilities and other persons in vulnerable situations, and welcoming also the extension of its application to minors sentenced under parts 4 and 5 of article 328 of the Criminal Code; 9. Also notes that the first national human rights action plan for 2016–2019 was a useful framework for facilitating intergovernmental cooperation and dialogue with civil society, contributing to the State’s marginally increased communication with civil society, welcomes the greater involvement of representatives of civil society in discussions and working forums related to human rights legislation and legal practice, in line with the recommendations on cooperation with civil society accepted by the State in the context of the universal periodic review, and calls upon the Government of Belarus to develop and implement without delay a new plan on human rights, building on the lessons learned from the implementation of the first plan and taking into consideration the recommendations made by the treaty bodies, human rights mechanisms and civil society; 10. Further notes the continued attention paid by the Special Rapporteur to the issue of the death penalty in Belarus, and in particular expresses deep concern at its use without guarantee of due process and at the limited amount of relevant information with regard to its use, and, taking into account that transparency is a requirement of fair and effective criminal justice, requests the Special Rapporteur to continue to monitor developments and to make recommendations, and welcomes the establishment in January 2020 of a working group to study the abolition of the death penalty and encourages the State to take tangible steps; 11. Urges the Government of Belarus to take all measures necessary to ensure the full independence and impartiality of the judiciary, to guarantee the right to a fair trial and 2