UN Should Probe Violence In Belarus, Suggest Response For Violations - Rights Group

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th August, 2020) � The United Nations should investigate the post-election violence in Belarus and provide recommendations in response to human rights violations in the country, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a statement.

"The United Nations special rapporteur on Belarus should urgently investigate the post-election violence and provide urgent, public updates and recommendations for action in terms of protection and accountability in response to the escalating government crackdown and grave human rights violations," the rights group said in the statement on Tuesday.

The rights group also urged police in Belarus to immediately stop using excessive force against protesters and to respect their rights to peacefully assemble.

HRW also called on authorities in Belarus to investigate the use of force by police and to release anyone who was detained while protesting peacefully. The group said a Human Rights Watch researcher in Minsk witnessed police vans in central Minsk let officers out to detain people seemingly at random.

On Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on authorities in Belarus to show maximum restraint and respect for the right to peaceful assembly.

Belarus held its presidential election on Sunday with incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko winning 80.23 percent of the vote.The results sparked protests in the country, resulting in at least 3,000 arrests. Presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya's campaign told Sputnik that it did not recognize the official results, saying she had won between 70 percent and 80 percent of the vote.