UN Office In Belarus Helped Pay For Lawyers For Protesters - Diplomatic Mission

The UN office in Belarus illegally used the organization's funds to pay for the services of lawyers of 23 Belarusians who participated in last year's opposition protests, the republic's permanent mission to the UN office and other international organizations in Geneva said

MINSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th October, 2021) The UN office in Belarus illegally used the organization's funds to pay for the services of lawyers of 23 Belarusians who participated in last year's opposition protests, the republic's permanent mission to the UN office and other international organizations in Geneva said.

"The Senior Human Rights Adviser appointed by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in the Republic of Belarus initiated the misuse of OHCHR funds that were intended to provide legal assistance to persons with disabilities or victims of domestic violence," the statement says.

It noted that "in August 2020, after externally incited riots took place in Belarus following the announcement of the election campaign results, on the initiative and with further support of the UN official, two employees of the UN Office in Belarus, with full awareness of the illegality of their actions, developed and implemented an illegal scheme to cover the services of lawyers to Belarusian citizens who were neither persons with disabilities nor victims of domestic violence.

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"These citizens participated in illegal protests aimed at undermining statehood and overthrowing the current government. As a result, lawyers were illegally financed to service 23 citizens," the statement says.