Political rights

A court in Belarus sentenced in absentia ex-presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya (pictured) to 15 years in prison, and her colleague on the Coordinating Council of the opposition, ex-Minister of Culture Pavel Latushko — to 18 years in prison.

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has publicly stated for the second time that there is allegedly not a single political prisoner in the republic.

On behalf of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Ministry of Justice has started forming a working group to prepare a report to the UN on the state of human rights in the Russian Federation.

President of Belarus Lukashenko signed a decree on the formation of a special commission headed by the Prosecutor General, which will deal with the return of political emigrants.