A/HRC/35/40 involvement in facilitating the exercise of human rights by the inmates of penal institutions, and when it comes to improving coordination between government agencies and NGOs engaged in the provision of palliative care services. A further activity refers to continuing the practice of involving public associations in discussing new legislative drafts, particularly by including members of such associations in public advisory councils. 75. In the view of the Special Rapporteur, the four activities envisioned in the plan, or rather goals in very narrow areas or too broadly formulated, do not represent a sufficient commitment of the Government to the realization of the recommendations it accepted during the second cycle of the universal periodic review (see A/HRC/30/3, paras. 127.23127.27). One of the recommendations the Government accepted called for enabling more effective involvement of civil society in the preparation of legal acts and another for strengthening further the links of cooperation and coordination with civil society as regards the promotion and protection of human rights. E. Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment 76. In Belarus, ill-treatment by various State authorities forms part of a systemic oppression. The Special Rapporteur continues to be concerned about the flow of information alleging acts of torture and ill-treatment by law enforcement and prison officers. Victims generally face obstruction of the judiciary when they call for investigations into such allegations. Regrettably, the authorities still do not allow access to the penitentiary system for independent investigators or monitors. 77. Specifically, reports of violence against women engaged in human rights or political activities include beatings, sexual assaults, threats of sexual assaults and forced placement in mental institutions. Some of the illegal acts performed by officials of the State or representative of local authorities have reportedly led to cases of forced suicides. 19 78. Mothers’ Movement 328, which remains unregistered, has stated that the procedures for the criminal conviction of drug addicts, who are often underage, and their treatment during incarceration are cruel and often amount to torture. The fact that their association is denied registration also makes remedy of such cases extremely difficult. 79. As an example of the unwillingness of the prosecutors to investigate cases of illtreatment and torture, an activist who was severely beaten by two policemen during his arrest on 11 August 2016 was told that his complaint could not be investigated further as he had failed to identify the person who broke his jaw. 80. The Special Rapporteur is concerned about a case of violence, including sexual violence, against a minor in the detention centre in Homiel, where he is incarcerated despite having a mental illness. His mother filed a complaint and subsequently received threats, including over the telephone, from the prosecutor in charge of the case. The minor allegedly wrote a confession, which he denied afterwards. He was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment. 81. According to the information available to the Special Rapporteur, many activists report acts of brutality, including the use of derogatory language and violence, including sexual violence and threats of sexual violence, when they are questioned by law enforcement officers. 82. Acts of torture and ill-treatment in Belarus have been regularly denounced by the international community. The Special Rapporteur therefore regrets that the inter-agency plan does not provide for any activity in this regard, not even awareness-raising campaigns or training for prison officials. The only activity related to the conditions of detention is 19 12 See submission by Belarusian NGOs to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, “Answers to the list of issues and questions prior to the submission of the eighth periodic report of Belarus” (2016). Available from http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CEDAW/Shared% 20Documents/BLR/INT_CEDAW_NGO_BLR_25453_E.pdf.