A/HRC/20/8 Kavalyou withdrew his confession which, he claimed, was obtained under duress.56 On 19 March 2012, Human Rights Watch reported that the two men had been executed. 72. In February 2012, another person on death row, Ihor Malik, was allegedly executed.57 This information could not be verified when the present report was being drafted. IV. Conclusions and recommendations 73. The information collected and its analysis suggest a pattern of serious violations of human rights since 19 December 2010. A number of actions, on 19 December 2010 and in the aftermath, were clearly aimed at curtailing the rights to freedoms of association, assembly and expression, and the right to a fair trial. To date, allegations of torture and ill-treatment in custody, impunity of perpetrators, violations of due judicial process and pressure on defence lawyers persist. The lack of an independent judiciary aggravates the situation and impedes progress. 74. Despite the release, in August and September 2011, of a number of those imprisoned in connection with the events of 19 December 2010, amendments to several laws have further restricted civil and political rights. This situation indicates that the deficiencies pertaining to human rights in Belarus are of a systemic nature. They need to be addressed by the authorities through a comprehensive approach, which would include a review of the legislation, policies, strategies and practice pertaining to human rights. 75. While presenting the oral report of the High Commissioner to the Human Rights Council at its eighteenth session, the Deputy High Commissioner made several preliminary recommendations to the Government of Belarus. As those recommendations remain largely unimplemented, OHCHR reiterates them, broadening their scope and adding additional ones. The High Commissioner thus recommends that the Government of Belarus: (a) Immediately and unconditionally release remaining political opponents, activists and journalists who were not involved in any violence in the events of 19 December 2010 and its aftermath; (b) Conduct an impartial, credible and objective investigation of the circumstances in which the above persons were arrested and detained, and take steps to promptly rehabilitate them; (c) Conduct a comprehensive, transparent and credible investigation into all reported cases of torture and ill-treatment, and bring those responsible to justice; ensure in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of detained and imprisoned persons; and establish an independent national preventive mechanism for the prevention of torture at the domestic level; (d) Ensure the full implementation of the rights to freedom of association and assembly, in accordance with international law, and put an immediate end to all forms of political and administrative pressure on and harassment of political opponents; 56 57 18 Amnesty International, “Death penalty for two men in Belarus”, 30 November 2011. See Tut.by, http://news.tut.by/society/276782.html, 29 February 2012.