Thank you, Mr President.
FIDH, OMCT and Viasna wish to thank the Group of Independent Experts for their important report, which highlights that the systematic persecution and the mass imprisonment of those deemed “disloyal” by the Belarusian authorities amount to crimes against humanity.
Among the victims of these crimes are Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Ales Bialiatski, FIDH Vice President Valiantsin Stefanovic, and Viasna lawyer Uladzimir Labkovich, who remain imprisoned in appalling conditions following an unjust verdict handed down by the Leninski District Court of Minsk two years ago. We strongly urge the Belarusian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all members of Human Rights Center “Viasna”, as well as all Belarusian human rights defenders and all those unlawfully imprisoned.
As the International Criminal Court conducts a preliminary examination of the Belarus situation, the documentation of crimes against humanity and the preservation of evidence by the GIE is crucial. We therefore strongly call on the international community to renew the mandate of the GIE and of the Special Rapporteur for Belarus, and to ensure that the GIE is allocated the financial and staffing resources necessary to successfully perform its tasks.
FIDH, OMCT and Viasna also urge the international community to take all available measures to ensure accountability and justice for the victims of the crimes committed, both on the national and international level, including by referring the Belarus situation to the International Criminal Court.
Madam Chair, I would like to conclude with a question: how can civil society organizations further support your work in a meaningful way?
I thank you.