Lawtrend: Rigoni is obliged to put questions uncomfortable with the official Minsk on the agenda

Right for entry in exchange for silence re issues of human rights and democracy in Belarus is an improper thing to do, emphasizes Elena Tonkacheva, the head of the Legal Transformation Center.

The Legal Transformation Center “Lawtrend” appealed to Andrea Rigoni, rapporteur of the PACE's Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy and Miklós Haraszti, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, with a request to start communication and coordination in assessing the situation with the human rights in Belarus.

The appeal submitted on February 18 was timed to the visit of the PACE rapporteur on Belarus Andrea Rigoni, which is scheduled for February 25-26, 2015. The Legal Transformation Center finds it necessary to initiate communication between the UN Special Rapporteur and PACE’s Rapporteur in order to coordinate the assessment of situation with human rights in Belarus.

Elena Tonkacheva, the head of “Lawtrend”, explains the need for such appeal and the expected results to the “EuroBelarus” Information Service.

“As you know, Mr. Haraszti has no possibility to visit Belarus at all; the reasons for ban of entry suggested by the official Minsk stand no criticism at all, and are reduced to the fact that the stance of the UN Special Rapporteur is quite detailed and critical. And we assume that the refusal to work with Haraszti on the part of the Belarusan authorities is connected to the Haraszti’s public stance. As to the assessments of the Special Rapporteur on Belarus, they always take place in close and detailed communication with the Belarusan human rights organizations and other representatives of the civil society, - Elena Tonkacheva notes. – Secondly, we always have a possibility to see the draft documents, as well as a possibility to provide our extra position on draft documents quite operatively. Afterwards a more technical sphere comes: whether Haraszti agrees with them or not. Communication is solid, sufficient, and, I believe, that it answers to the right tactics and strategies of personal rapporteurs’ work with the civil society apart from work with the state bodies”.

Elena Tonkacheva is convinced that if Haraszti would have a possibility to make a physical visit to Belarus, he would be holding equally qualitative and detailed consultations with the representatives of the state bodies, likewise he is holding with the human rights organizations”.

The head of “Lawtrend” emphasizes the statements made in the Belarusan House of Representatives following Rigoni’s visit: “We hear about the social-economic issues, issues related to the membership of Belarus in the EEU, we hear about the hopes for active communication with the Council of Europe, about the possible presence of permanent Belarusan delegation to PACE, etc.”

She also notes that “unfortunately, up to this moment we can find no how-ever significant public document elaborated by MR. Rigoni that would demonstrate his clear and open stance of assessing democracy and human rights situation in Belarus”.

“Such approach causes bewilderment. In the moment different international structures that are based on democratic principles and supremacy of law and human rights and still declare them, basically reject human rights agenda. And it is wrong to change the right to entry the country for the silence on human rights and democracy in Belarus. The country still has political prisoners, problems with the freedom of election, freedom of speech, freedom of associations, etc. And if Mr. Rigoni still comes to Belarus, which, I believe, is already decided on, it would be extremely important to demand obligatory inclusion of human rights, major freedoms, and democracy issues to the agenda of the meetings with state officials”, - stresses Elena Tonkacheva.

“We find it necessary for Mr. Rigoni to be guided by the conclusions, recommendations, which Mr. Haraszti has already made; necessary for these documents to become a basis for Rigoni’s stance during the meetings with the representatives of state bodies in Belarus. We will follow the program of his visit and agenda of his meetings with great attention and hope that our message will be heard. We also hope that instead of tough criticism as a result of Mr. Rigoni’s visit we will be able to say that the official representative of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is ready to consistently follow the values that lie in the basis of the Council of Europe”, - Elena Tonkacheva claims.

Let us recall that the head of “Lawtrend” was skeptical about the appointed on the post of the rapporteur of the PACE's Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy Andrei Rigoni in the interview with “EuroBelarus” Information Service in May 2014. “And I keep thinking that Mr. Rigoni is a poor politician. The fact that he has to work with Belarus indicates that today agenda in relation to Belarus is made without referring to thorny questions. I.e. this place should be occupied by a person without a stance in order to lead negotiations with the parliamentarians, who over these years of talk and promises to the Council of Europe re the post of ombudsman, re abolition of death penalty and so on didn’t move any further. I would like to see that the inadequate assessment of the existing circumstances is being corrected; not to hear for one more time that the Council of Europe discussed current problems and sees perspectives of further cooperation. I see no reasons to flirt with the official Minsk – it didn’t make any steps towards improving situation with the human rights and democracy”, - Elena Tonkacheva emphasized.