A/HRC/29/43 I. Introduction A. Background 1. The Human Rights Council established the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus in its resolution 20/13. The current mandate holder assumed his functions on 1 November 2012. The Council has twice extended the mandate for one year, in its resolutions 23/15 and 26/25. 2. In the present report, the Special Rapporteur describes the prevailing situation of human rights in Belarus since his previous report to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/26/44). It covers information received up until 30 March 2015. 3. The findings of the Special Rapporteur for the period under review brought to light the fact that the situation of human rights in Belarus has not improved, and that widespread disrespect for human rights, in particular civil and political rights, continues. The Special Rapporteur is concerned about the lack of progress made to address the systematic and systemic denial of human rights. 4. Important areas of human rights governance have deteriorated in Belarus, inter alia, the legal, regulatory and administrative environment for the Internet and the media. The rights to freedom of assembly and association have been further limited by new restrictive provisions. 5. The practice of short-term detention of activists, journalists and human rights defenders has continued and increased. Administrative and “preventive” arrests continue to be used systematically and arbitrarily against citizens who seek to exercise independently and freely their rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly. 6. Compared to previous years, fewer persons were incarcerated for long prison terms in retaliation for their political activities; nonetheless their situation has remained unchanged. Among them, a former presidential candidate has remained behind bars since 2011. Besides Ales Bialiatski, two political prisoners were released in 2014, albeit after having served their full prison terms. Nothing has been done to review any of their cases or to rehabilitate them. 7. A highly dissuasive, permission-based regime is still the main tool used to deny civil rights and to curtail the freedoms of expression and opinion, information, association and peaceful assembly, which are all key factors in full and inclusive participation in public life. The permission-based regime is further aggravated by the criminalization of all unsanctioned public undertakings and organizations, aimed at dissuading participation in and support for such associations; indeed, mere attendance at events of this type may lead to criminal or administrative charges and discrimination in various aspects of life. 8. The judiciary continues to be fully dependent on the President, in spite of some recent reforms. Besides the lack of independence of the courts and law enforcement agencies, intimidation is used against lawyers, who are forced to join the bar association that is directly supervised by the Government. 9. Labour rights continue to be denied, and independent labour unions are suppressed. The rights to just and favourable work conditions and to the freedom to choose one’s workplace have been further restricted by new legal provisions. 10. The Special Rapporteur also noted that there has been little or no progress with regard to developments welcomed in the past, such as the stated intention to establish a national human rights institution and a parliamentary working group on the death penalty. 3