The OSCE Demands an End to Repression in Belarus

Thirty-five OSCE participating states intend to invoke the Vienna Mechanism in connection with human rights violations in Belarus
Repression in Belarus could be stopped by the Kremlin, but it does not appear to have the political will to do so.

This is the conclusion toward which experts interviewed by the Russian Service of Voice of America are inclined.

Let us recall that the day before, a group of 35 participating states of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) decided to invoke the Vienna Mechanism in connection with serious human rights violations in Belarus.

This is stated in an OSCE declaration.

Andrei Kazakevich, director of the Political Sphere Institute, believes that the Belarusian authorities will respond unequivocally negatively to the OSCE initiative.

All the more so because the main messages from official Minsk in relations with the West have largely come down to readiness specifically for direct negotiations and consultations, the political scientist clarified in a comment for the Russian Service of Voice of America.
“So the proposed format is unacceptable to the authorities,” he added. “It is probably too early to judge the reaction in Belarusian society or among democratic forces.

But I do not think that much hope will be placed in these mechanisms.

After all, the OSCE is an organization that does not have serious levers of influence over the domestic political situation in Belarus.

It can be effective only when the country agrees to cooperate.

Otherwise, practically all mechanisms cease to work.”

Assessing the current human rights situation, Andrei Kazakevich noted that it is deteriorating rather than improving.

According to him, the number of political prisoners in Belarus is constantly growing: “There are now more than eight hundred of them for 7 million adults.

The regime is introducing ever new repressive measures related to restrictions on the activities of civil society organizations, the media, Telegram channels, and political activity on social networks.

Citizens continue to be persecuted for expressing their political position and for wanting to participate in the country’s political life.

The number of related administrative and criminal cases is also steadily increasing.”

At the same time, the director of the Political Sphere Institute does not completely rule out that Moscow could become a restraining factor for Minsk. “Strategically, it is still better for Russia that the political crisis in Belarus, if it does not end, at least does not take on new harsh forms of confrontation that would lead to the final degradation of the work of civic institutions,” he explained. “In addition, any increase in tension will require additional resources.

So Moscow should probably be interested in at least a relatively calm situation being established in the republic.”

But this is the maximum we can count on, Andrei Kazakevich believes.

There is clearly no basis for arguing that Russia will become not only a restraining factor but also a force that can contribute to the normalization of the human rights situation, he concluded.

Read in full (https://www.golosameriki.com/a/belarus-osce-repressions/6301887.html)