English

Prisoners` rights group appeals to UN rapporteur over its closure

A Minsk-based prisoners` rights group has appealed to a UN rapporteur over its controversial closure.

Judge Aleh Klyuyko of the Minsk Economic Court on October 9 upheld a liquidation suit against Platforma, which has highlighted human rights abuse in Belarusian prisons and called for international sanctions against authorities.

In its appeal to Margaret Sekaggya, the UN Human Rights Council`s special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Platforma says that the judge ignored arguments in its defense, while the case against the organization was weak.

Platforma notes that its leaders were detained and subjected to pressure by authorities earlier this year. In particular, Platforma leader Andrey Bandarenka was placed on the “preventive register” of the Committee for State Security (KGB) and received a warning from the Minsk City Prosecutor’s Office for allegedly discrediting Belarus.

"The decision to close down Platforma is a vivid example of how pressure and persecution targeting human rights defenders and representatives of NGOs is carried out in Belarus," the appeal says.

Platforma calls on the UN rapporteur to discuss the matter with the Belarusian government and ask for permission to visit the country. //BelaPAN