Belarus dismisses rights report as “publicity stunt”

May 11, BPN. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has dismissed Professor Hervé Ascensio’s report on human rights in Belarus as a publicity operation.

“Moscow Mechanism nowadays is rather a PR than diplomatic tool. Merely a publicity stunt used to assert self-righteousness of its initiators and ostracise a targeted state,” the Belarusian foreign ministry wrote on Twitter.

Ascensio presented his report to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Permanent Council earlier today.

He found that impunity and lack of effective remedies pose a significant threat to the OSCE human dimension. “Without accountability and justice, there can be no security and stability in the long run on the European continent,” Ascensio said.

The Moscow Mechanism rapporteur recommended that Belarus reform its laws to comply with international standards and that OSCE states bring those responsible for the crackdown in Belarus to account through national, regional or international procedures.

OSCE member states invoked the fact-finding mechanism with regard to Belarus two months ago.