Łukašenka deprives Belarusians of right to report human rights abuses to UN

October 29, BPN. Alaksandr Łukašenka approved Belarus’ withdrawal from the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The law has come into force on October 29 after its publication on the National Legal Internet Portal.

The House of Representatives, the lower house of the Belarusian parliament, approved the bill on withdrawing from the Optional Protocol on October 12. The upper house, the Council of the Republic, followed on October 19, citing “unreasonable obligations” as the main reason. 

Belarusian human rights defenders denounced the bill in a joint statement on August 22, urging the authorities to respect their international commitments and not to deprive Belarusians of the opportunity to use international human rights mechanisms.

The Optional Protocol to the ICCPR, in force since 1976, is a collective treaty allowing submission of individual complaints on violations of human rights to the UN Human Rights Committee (HRC).

A total of 116 states signed the Protocol. To date, only Trinidad and Tobago as well as Jamaica have withdrawn from it.human rights mechanisms.

The Optional Protocol to the ICCPR, in force since 1976, is a collective treaty allowing submission of individual complaints on violations of human rights to the UN Human Rights Committee (HRC).

A total of 116 states signed the Protocol. To date, only Trinidad and Tobago as well as Jamaica have withdrawn from it.