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Lukashenka urged to reject prostitution bill over jail conditions

A group of Brest-based human rights defenders have petitioned Alyaksandr Lukashenka to reject a draft law that would make prostitution an offense punishable by jail time.

The law, which passed the House of Representatives on October 10 and the Council of the Republic on October 22, has recently landed on Mr. Lukashenka’s desk.

The petitioners explain that only one detention center where jail terms are served in Belarus has female staff, human rights defender Raman Kislyak told BelaPAN.

As a result, women who serve jail sentences face gender discrimination, while the controversial law would raise the number of women sent to jail, the petition warns.

The human rights defenders refer to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.

Apart from Mr. Kislyak, the petition has been signed by Syarhey Vakulenka, Uladzimir Vyalichkin, Valyantsin Larankow, Vital Symonik, Uladzimir Maley and Yury Zhydovich.