OSCE Countries Demand Answers from Belarus on Situation with Human Rights | Major political events in Belarus: assessments, forecasts, comments | DW

The countries of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) are putting pressure on Belarus to observe human rights. On Thursday, November 4, a joint letter was sent to Minsk asking them to provide answers within ten days on issues related to torture, prosecution of government critics or incitement to violence by state media.

A joint message to the authorities in Minsk was signed by 35 out of 57 OSCE states. Among them were all EU member states, except Poland.

A year ago, the OSCE report on the situation in Belarus revealed “massive and systematic” violations of human rights in the country after the protests against the long-term ruler Alexander Lukashenko, the government was given certain recommendations. However, now the letter states that “instead of resolving the crisis in Belarus, the situation has worsened.” Therefore, this time the so-called Vienna Mechanism of the OSCE was activated, within the framework of which information on human rights issues can be requested.

See also:

• Belarusian protest – in the art of poster

  Peaceful protest posters

  “Everything is so bad that even introverts came out,” is one of the posters with which the Belarusian peaceful protest was remembered a year ago. An exhibition at the Folkwang Museum in Essen, Germany shows how Belarusians express their discontent with the help of art. Its organizers are in solidarity with the people of Belarus who demand changes and draw attention to the difficult situation of cultural workers who have suffered from repression.

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  Belarusian protest – in the art of poster

  Opposition graphic symbols

  The heart, “Victory” and the fist became symbols of the leaders of the protest: Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, Maria Kolesnikova and Veronica Tsepkalo. The opposition logo was based on a drawing by Antonina Slobodchikova. The posters that were used at street actions in Belarus are posted on the Cultprotest.me platform. Due to the persecution of those who disagree with the authorities, the protest became partisan and is actively continuing on the Internet.

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  Belarusian protest – in the art of poster

  Responsible for the repression

  A red bloody streak leads to Lukashenka. The Belarusian ruler is widely considered responsible for the brutal and uncompromising suppression of mass protests by Belarusians after the presidential elections in August 2020. “Sometimes there is no time for laws,” he said at a meeting with security officials, justifying the disproportionate use of force. The photo shows a poster by Ekaterina Prokopyeva.

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  Belarusian protest – in the art of poster

  Memes about “three percent”

  The famous designer Vladimir Tsesler has dedicated a lot of works to the Belarusian protest. Fearing reprisals, he left the country, but continues to cover the topic of change. According to official data, Alexander Lukashenko won 80% of the vote in the presidential elections, but opposition supporters speak of massive fraud. According to some online polls, 3% voted for him. These numbers have spawned many memes.

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  Belarusian protest – in the art of poster

  Instead of wings – Belarusian prison bars

  The forced landing of a Ryanair plane in Minsk and the arrest of opposition blogger Roman Protasevich, who was a passenger on board, drew sharp criticism around the world. This incident is reminded of another poster by Vladimir Tsesler, who re-interpreted the logo of the Irish airline.

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  Belarusian protest – in the art of poster

  Trampling on human rights

  Human rights activists talk about flagrant violations in Belarus. Amnesty International points out that the judiciary is used to punish those affected by the actions of the security forces, not to bring those responsible to justice. About 700 Belarusians filed complaints about torture and beatings. The Investigative Committee refused to open a criminal case. Anna Muraida’s poster.

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  Belarusian protest – in the art of poster

  The colors of protest

  Historical white-red-white (BCHB) symbols in Belarus have turned into the symbols of the protesters. The authorities call her demonstration, even if in the form of a child’s drawing on a window or on socks, an illegal picket, issue fines for it, and detain it. One recent example: a resident of Minsk has to pay about $ 1,000 for red and white braids.

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  Belarusian protest – in the art of poster

  Belarusian nightmare – paddy wagon

  Car wagons have become a symbol of detention and torture against not only protesters, but also bystanders, who are mistaken by the security forces for such. The Belarusians themselves call the fear of this special transport traveling through the city streets “busophobia”. The Belarusian conceptual artist Nik Osadchy dedicated his work to her.

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  Belarusian protest – in the art of poster

  Peaceful dialogue with the security official

  Flowers and the pursuit of peaceful dialogue against barbed wire and machine guns. Illustrator Olga Balay dedicated this work to pensioner Nina Baginskaya, one of the symbols of the Belarusian revolution. The artists also express their protest in social networks under the hashtags #cultprotest #cultprotest #cultprotest. The Essen exhibition will run until October 24.

  Author: Raina Breuer, Janina Moroz

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