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United Nations Found Violations Of Presidential Candidate Andrei Sannikov’s Rights

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United Nations Found Violations Of Presidential Candidate Andrei Sannikov’s Rights
Andrei Sannikov

The Belarusian authorities are obliged to expunge Andrei Sannikov’s criminal record.

The authorities of Belarus violated the rights of former presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov. This is the decision of the UN Human Rights Committee, where Sannikov filed a complaint back in 2012. During his imprisonment, he was subjected to torture and other ill-treatment, the UN News website reports.

Members of the Committee have recognized that Andrei Sannikov was a victim of illegal imprisonment, his rights to privacy, freedom of expression and peaceful assembly were violated.

Sannikov was arrested in 2010, when the authorities brutally dispersed the demonstrations of protests in connection with the presidential elections. He was an opposition candidate, and the court found him guilty of having organized “mass disorder” and sentenced to five years in prison. Sannikov was later granted a presidential pardon and exempted from serving the remainder of his sentence. The pardon, however, did not remove the criminal conviction from his record and by law he is precluded from standing in future elections.

The leader of the opposition submitted his individual complaint to the Human Rights Committee under the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The Human Rights Committee oversees implementation by States parties of the ICCPR, and Sannikov was able to make his complaint because the State Party in question, Belarus, is also a party to the Optional Protocol to that Covenant.

The Committee's statement says that “the right of peaceful assembly, as guaranteed under article 21 of the ICCPR, is a fundamental human right that is indispensable in a democratic society. This right entails the possibility of organizing and participating in a peaceful assembly, including a spontaneous one, in a public location.”

The Committee called on Belarus to carry out a prompt, impartial, effective and thorough investigation into the allegations of torture and ill-treatment and initiate criminal proceedings against those responsible. It also directed Belarus to expunge Sannikov’s criminal record and provide him with adequate compensation. Belarus must also take all steps necessary to prevent similar violations from occurring in the future.

The Committee regretted the failure of Belarus to contribute to its examination of Sannikov’s complaint, noting that States parties to the Optional Protocol were obliged to cooperate in good faith with the Human Rights Committee.

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