Seventeen members of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have appointed an independent team of experts to investigate alleged rights violations in Belarus' presidential election in August, Denmark says.
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"Basically, the mission is about holding the Belarusian authorities accountable for their gross violations of the right of the people of Belarus to have free and fair elections, fundamental freedoms and a well-functioning rule of law," Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said in a statement.
The mission is expected to publish a report within six to eight weeks, the ministry said.
The team will investigate reports of persecution of political candidates, journalists and activists as well as excessive use of force against peaceful protesters, illegal detention and torture, the ministry said.
President Alexander Lukashenko says he won re-election fairly and is the victim of a smear campaign by outside forces.
The OSCE mission is unlikely to gain access to Belarus.
It prevented the deployment of OSCE election observers by not inviting them, and has ignored repeated offers by the OSCE chairman, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, to visit.
The OSCE members behind the mission are Denmark, Belgium, Canada, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Great Britain, the Czech Republic and the United States.
The OSCE, a rights and security body, is made up of 57 countries including Russia.
Australian Associated Press