Press Release, 14.08.2020

Yabloko Party Chairman Nikolai Rybakov sent an appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and the leaders of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland and Ukraine with an appeal to influence the leadership of Belarus to stop the violation of human rights in this country.

“Since August 11, 2020, we can confidently say that a humanitarian catastrophe has been developing in the Republic of Belarus,” Nikolai Rybakov emphasises at the beginning of his address. In the document,  Yabloko Chairman also points out that not only the rights to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly were violated in Belarus, but also the right to life, freedom of movement, privacy, health care and medical care.

“All this not only raises concern that the fulfillment of the obligations of the Republic of Belarus in observance of human rights is under threat, but it cannot but shock and requires urgent, immediate response measures,” runs the appeal.

In his address, the Yabloko Chairman also recalls that the prohibition of torture, the use of which is demonstrated by video evidence from Belarus, is an unconditional obligation of the states – parties to the Convention Against Torture.

In his address to the neighbouring states, Nikolai Rybakov urges their leaders to immediately use paragraph 2 of the OSCE Vienna Mechanism and propose a meeting with Alexander Lukashenko as soon as possible. The head of Yabloko also asked the European leaders and the Russian President to use paragraph 12 of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism and use the mechanism for appointing OSCE special rapporteurs, who will draw up a report on the situation in Belarus as soon as possible.

Rybakov also calls Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, as the head of the permanent body of the Union State, for the immediate use of the procedure provided for in paragraph 4 of the Moscow CSCE Mechanism and the use of the OSCE mission to consider or assist in resolving issues related to the human dimension of the OSCE on the territory of the Union State.

“The very presence of the OSCE mission on the territory of the Republic of Belarus in connection with the massive violation of commitments in the human dimension will help save the lives and health of thousands of people,” Nikolai Rybakov notes in his addresses.

On Thursday, Nikolai Rybakov sent an appeal to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov with a request to protect Russian citizens in Belarus. The Yabloko party also released a statement in which it expressed solidarity with the citizens of Belarus protesting against the unfair presidential elections and the usurpation of power by Alexander Lukashenko.