Two European vote monitors denied Belarus visas
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 19 September 2012 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Two European vote monitors denied Belarus visas, 19 September 2012, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/5060409723.html [accessed 23 May 2013] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
September 19, 2012
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) says two of its representatives have been denied entry to Belarus to monitor parliamentary elections.
The OSCE said on September 19 that Belarus had denied visas to two members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Marieluise Beck of Germany and Lithuania's Emanuelis Zingeris, without an explanation.
The OSCE has fielded more than 300 observers to monitor the September 23 elections.
Leading opposition groups have called for a boycott of the vote, complaining about political prisoners and the opportunities for election fraud.
President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has ruled Belarus since 1994, cracking down on dissent and independent media.
The country has become increasingly isolated since the crackdown on dissent after the 2010 presidential election, which handed Lukashenka a fourth term.
Based on reporting by AFP and AP
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
