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Belarusian government continues to systematically violate human rights, says US state secretary

The Belarusian government continues to systematically violate human rights, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in Dublin, Ireland, on Thursday, speaking during the first plenary session of the OSCE Ministerial Council.

"In Belarus, the Government continues to systematically repress human rights, detain political prisoners, and intimidate journalists," Ms. Clinton said.

She described October's parliamentary elections in Ukraine as a step backwards for democracy and expressed deep concern about the "selective prosecution of opposition leaders" in that country.

This is the second time Ms. Clinton has mentioned Belarus in her public speeches in the last seven days. While speaking at a meeting hosted by Brookings Institution on November 30, she called on the Belarusian authorities to release the political prisoners. //BelaPAN