§ Mr. HowardTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on(a) the strength of democratic institutions and (b) the human rights record of the Government in Belarus. [34622]
§ Mr. Doug HendersonDemocratic institutions in Belarus are weak. We fully support the work of the recently established OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group (AMG) in Minsk, which aims to assist the Belarussian authorities in promoting democratic institutions and in complying with other OSCE commitments.
Belarus's human rights record is poor. We have particular concerns about freedom of speech and association and media freedom, which we have frequently raised with the Belarussian authorities. In February 1998, 554W the UK Presidency on behalf of the EU protested against heavy sentences imposed on two youths for painting anti-government slogans on public buildings and statues.