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Minsk denounces UN Human Rights Council's resolution

The Belarusian foreign ministry has denounced a critical resolution on the situation in the country that was adopted by the UN Human Rights Council on July 5.

In a statement, the ministry said that the resolution, which had been initiated by the European Union, was evidence that "European countries continue using the topic of human rights as a tool of political manipulation and pressure."

The ministry stressed that 25 of the Council's 47 members had not voted for the resolution. "Belarus flatly rejects this resolution as politically motivated and having nothing to do with encouraging human rights. The Belarusian side also does not recognize the mandate of the Human Rights Council's special rapporteur on Belarus established by the resolution and will not cooperate with him [the rapporteur]," the statement said.

"While recognizing the importance of international mechanisms of observing the state of affairs in the sphere of human rights, Belarus consistently advocates transparency, objectivity and non-selectivity as fundamental principles in the operation of these universal organizations," the foreign ministry said. //BelaPAN