A/HRC/32/48 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 21 April 2016 Original: English Human Rights Council Thirty-second session Agenda item 4 Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus Note by the Secretariat In the present report, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus describes the developments in the situation of human rights in Belarus since his previous report (A/HRC/29/43), and assesses the State’s overall compliance with recommendations made by the United Nations human rights mechanisms since 2010. The findings show that, except for the recent release of political prisoners on the eve of the 2015 presidential election, no improvements have been introduced in the systemic, entrenched curtailment of basic human rights that triggered the establishment of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur in 2012. The current level of scrutiny by the United Nations of compliance by Belarus with its human rights obligations must therefore continue, especially in view of the forthcoming parliamentary elections. The Special Rapporteur concludes the report with recommendations, with the forthcoming parliamentary elections of September 2016 in mind. GE.16-06579(E) 