Ministry Statements & Speeches:
Madam President,
New Zealand welcomes the Special Rapporteur’s update on the human rights situation in Belarus.
New Zealand is deeply concerned at the unprecedented deterioration in human rights in Belarus.
The ongoing, forcible and violent repression of opposition and dissent in Belarus is unacceptable. For this reason, New Zealand has joined others in announcing targeted measures against key figures in the Belarusian government and security forces.
The rights to freedom of expression and peaceful demonstration are fundamental and inalienable. New Zealand urges the Belarusian Government to immediately and unconditionally release all those arbitrarily detained for peacefully expressing their views or gathering in protest, and to conduct independent, impartial and transparent investigations into all allegations of human rights violations, especially torture or ill-treatment.
We encourage the Government of Belarus to engage with the Special Rapporteur and to implement the recommendations in her report. Finally, New Zealand calls on the Government of Belarus to heed the repeated calls for it to abolish the death penalty.
Thank you.