The new OSCE Moscow Mechanism invoked in relation to human rights violations in Belarus
On 23 March 2023, 38 participating States of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), including Lithuania, invoked one of the OSCE's Human Dimension instruments - the Moscow Mechanism on Human Rights Violations in Belarus. Under this mechanism, a mission of independent experts is established to prepare a new report on the human rights situation in Belarus.
"The Belarusian authorities have taken further actions that both deepen and expand our concerns about Belarus’ fulfilment of OSCE human dimension commitments, including through the continued enabling of the Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine", participating States have stressed in their statement.
The new Moscow Mechanism has been invoked since in spite of repeated calls by the states and international community the Belarus authorities continue their repressions against independent civil society, human rights defenders, opposition leaders and the independent media. While stressing their concern about the increasingly deteriorating human rights situation in Belarus, the participating States also call on independent experts to investigate human rights violations linked to Belarus' complicity in the Russian Federation's military aggression against Ukraine.
More than two years ago report iniciated under the same mechanism regarding alleged human rights violations related to the Presidential elections of 9 August 2020 in Belarus, confirmed the commitment of massive and systematic violations and abuses of human rights and fundamental freedoms and made a number of recommendations to the Belarusian authorities, to all participating States and to the wider international community.
The statement of the participating State invoking the OSCE Moscow Mechanism is available here.
