§ Mr. TrendTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the recent human rights record of the Government of Belarus. [142800]
603W
§ Mr. VazThe human rights record of the Government of Belarus remains poor in many respects. The political system is oppressive and undemocratic. The judiciary is not independent of the executive. Opposition politicians are harassed and have, in some cases, been subject to politically motivated legal proceedings and harsh sentencing. There is bias in the state mass media. Independent trade unions have suffered unacceptable pressure from the authorities, including having their bank accounts frozen. The Belarusian authorities have failed to investigate satisfactorily the disappearances of several opposition sympathisers. The parliamentary elections on 15 October failed to meet international standards for democratic elections.