The debate was called for by the European Union (EU). Its request was supported by 25 of the 47 member states of the Council. Two voted against and 20 countries abstained.
–
Elizabeth Tihi Fislberger, President of the UN Human Rights Council, from Austria, announced that the debate would take place on Friday.
–
There have been daily protests in Belarus since the presidential election on August 9, demanding the resignation of President Alexander Lukashenko.
–
Thousands of protesters have been detained and the UN has received hundreds of reports of torture or other abuses against detainees.
–
According to official results, Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, won 80.1% of the vote, while opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovska won only 10.1%.
–
However, the opposition has stated that the results are falsified on the basis of evidence of unprecedented violations. The European Union and other Western countries have also refused to recognize the election results.
— .
