NEWS STORY
Julia Crouch has been appointed Governor of Anguilla in succession to Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam, who is moving to another role in the Diplomatic Service. Crouch, who is currently the Head of Economics and Global Issues in Moscow, will take up her new role in the summer.
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16 MAY 1923
An important date took place in the House of Commons on the Anglo-Russian relationship. David Lloyd George and Herbert Asquith said during the debate that they broadly agreed with the Government’s proposals.
The French Government seized control of numerous dye works in the Ruhr Valley, extending the area that they had seized in lieu of war reparations.
15 MAY 1923
The German Government said that they had a sense of dejection following the rejection by Britain and Italy of their proposed war reparations scheme.
In the House of Lords, the decision on the deportation of Art O’Brien case went against the Government, with the Home Office stating that an announcement would be made shortly.
The Finance Bill was read for a second time in the House of Commons.
14 MAY 1923
The King and Queen visited British war graves in Asiago located at the Vicentine Alps which had been on the Italian Front.
The British finally replied to the German note of war reparations, with Lord Curzon stating that “I cannot conceal from your Excellency that the proposals of your Government have come as a great disappointment”.
13 MAY 1923
The Bolshevik Government in Russia stepped back from its aggressive note of earlier in the week, saying that the country was still keen on a trading relationship.
The Irish Government said that if the British asked for the deported Art O’Brien to be returned, then they would agree to that demand.
6 people were killed in a tram accident in Churwell, on the road between Leeds and Morley.
![PRESS RELEASE : 43rd Universal Periodic Review – UK statement on Liechtenstein [May 2023]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/fco.png)
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 May 2023.
The UK delivered a statement during Liechtenstein’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Thank you, Mr Vice President,
First let me warmly welcome the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the other members of the Liechtenstein delegation.
The United Kingdom commends Liechtenstein’s human rights record and we look forward to its Presidency of the Council of Europe later this year.
Liechtenstein has made significant progress in furthering LGBT+ rights, including its recent decision allowing adoption by same-sex couples. We strongly encourage Liechtenstein to go further and enact legislation to grant the LGBT+ community the right to marry.
We recommend Liechtenstein:
Thank you, Mr President.
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 May 2023.
The United Kingdom says it will not allow Russia’s aggression and brutality to become normalised, as Russia unleashes yet more strikes across Ukraine.
Thank you. Mr Chair, this week many participating States of the OSCE commemorated the anniversary of the end of the Second World War. However, the people of Ukraine were not able to reflect in peace and safety. On Saturday and Sunday, air raid alerts sounded across two thirds of Ukraine. Missile strikes were reported in Kharkiv, Kherson, Nikolaev and Odesa on Monday morning. Civilians were yet again among the casualties, once more paying the price for Russia’s brutal attacks. These strikes hit a Ukrainian Red Cross warehouse in Odesa and a mobile hospital in Mykolaiv. Such callous attacks harm the most vulnerable people in Ukraine, those in greatest need of humanitarian support. Such attacks are particularly inexcusable and repugnant.
It has also been reported that in a separate incident, members of Ukraine’s State Emergency Service were killed by shelling in Kherson. They were engaged in de-mining operations, working selflessly to make the area safer.
Further East, the fields surrounding Bakhmut are grey and cratered after relentless bombing. The city itself has been almost entirely destroyed. Russia has turned this once thriving city into a wasteland.
Mr Chair, on Tuesday, the same day that Russia launched waves of missile strikes at Ukraine’s capital, President Putin marked Victory Day with a speech in which he claimed that a war had been unleashed against Russia. Yet, as all of us in this room know, it was Russia that unleashed an unprovoked and illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It is Russia that has bombarded Ukraine’s critical national infrastructure, killing thousands of civilians in the process. It is Ukraine that defends itself, regaining territory and liberating thousands of Ukrainian people.
Despite Russia’s continual assaults, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have held firm. Ukraine’s resilience and bravery, coupled with military, humanitarian and economic support from the UK and other partners, will ensure that they will prevail. We will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes.
Since we last met, Mr Chair, the IAEA has warned of the “potentially dangerous” situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Russia’s disregard of international law and its continued military presence has put Ukrainian nuclear facilities at risk. This endangers local populations and the wider region. The responsibility for such danger lies squarely with Russia. This is sovereign Ukrainian territory, and the Plant must be returned to Ukraine’s control to ensure its safe and secure operation. We support all efforts to reduce the risks to the Nuclear Power Plant caused by Russia’s illegal invasion, including the IAEA’s work.
The price that Ukraine’s civilians and infrastructure are paying for Russia’s horrendous attacks must not become normalised. The UK and our partners will continue to work to hold those guilty of atrocities to account. Russia must end its doomed aggression against Ukraine, and cease its shameful attacks on the Ukrainian people. It is Ukraine that fights for the OSCE’s core principles: sovereignty, territorial integrity, and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It is Russia that is on the wrong side of history.
Thank you, Mr Chair.
![PRESS RELEASE : Increased sentence for killer driver, Darren Burton [May 2023]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/attorneygeneral.png)
The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 11 May 2023.
Darren Burton from Chaddesden, Derby, gave a lift to three people in his work van after drinking alcohol and taking cocaine on 18 June 2022.
Burton and another passenger sat in the front, while friends Andrew Calf and Allan Reeve sat in the back of the van amongst work materials and without seatbelts.
However, close to their intended destination, Burton lost control of the van and crashed into metal barriers after driving over the speed limit in response to being overtaken by another vehicle.
Andrew Calf and Allan Reeve were thrown from the van during the collision and both died due to their injuries.
The Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson KC MP said:
My thoughts are with the families of Allan Reeve and Alan Calf who were tragically killed because of Darren Burton’s recklessness.
His increased sentence should serve as a clear warning to anyone considering getting behind the wheel while drunk or under the influence is never worth the risk.
Having admitted two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, Burton was sentenced to four years and eight months on 6 February 2023. He was also disqualified from driving for nine years and four months.
The sentence was referred to the Attorney General’s Office as potentially unduly lenient and after careful consideration the Solicitor General referred the case to the Court of Appeal.
At a hearing on 28 April 2023, the Court of Appeal quashed Burton’s original sentence and handed down a new sentence of five years and 10 months. Burton’s total disqualification period was also extended to nine years 11 months.
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 May 2023.
The UK delivered a statement during Tunisia’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Thank you, Mr President.
The 2011 revolution secured unprecedented fundamental rights and freedoms for Tunisians. These gains must be protected.
Many rights enshrined in the post-revolution constitution remain in the Constitution that was adopted this year. However, we note with concern an increasing trend of human rights violations. We urge the government to ensure accountability and transparency in investigating excessive use of force by State agents. We encourage diverse representative participation in political life, including women and youth.
A transparent, independent and efficient judiciary and the separation of powers are essential for a functioning democracy that serves its people. We note with concern the recent weakening of judicial independence.
We have three recommendations:
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 May 2023.
Invoking States welcome the OSCE Moscow Mechanism report and call for the Belarussian authorities to uphold their international obligations.
Mr. Chair, I am delivering this statement on behalf of the following 38 delegations who on 23 March 2023 invoked the Moscow Mechanism as a response to the alarming human rights situation in Belarus: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
On behalf of the invoking States, I wish to thank Professor Hervé Ascensio for his work as Rapporteur under the OSCE’s Moscow Mechanism. We are most grateful for your professional and independent approach to your mandate and for the thorough and well-documented report that you have produced. We regret that the Belarusian authorities refused to cooperate. The fact that you were met by victims of repression who seemingly had lost faith in positive changes, and who reported that fellow victims were terrified and intimidated from providing evidence, is a stark reminder of the severity of the situation.
I sincerely hope that all 57 OSCE participating States will do justice to your report by considering carefully your findings and recommendations, which are addressed, not only to Belarus, but also to OSCE participating States and the wider International Community.
Mr. Chair, we invoked the Moscow Mechanism to underscore our concerns about the continued deterioration of the internal human rights situation in Belarus and to explore the more recent development of serious abuses linked to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
For more than two years, we have continuously called upon the Belarusian authorities to put an end to repression and violence. To protect the victims and to ensure the safety of all individuals, without discrimination. To address the recommendations of the 2020 Moscow Mechanism Report. To live up to OSCE and other international commitments and principles. To abide by international law. And to end impunity for human rights violations. But the delegation of Belarus and the Belarusian authorities have – again and again – ignored our legitimate concerns and requests.
The independent report by Professor Ascensio has fully confirmed how Belarusian authorities are continuing their brutal and unprecedented crackdown on opposing voices. The report concludes that “so far, the Government of Belarus has not taken any steps to put an end to this situation, nor to provide effective remedies for the victims. On the contrary, the repressive policy has been steadily increasing over the past two years”.
Legislative amendments have been introduced with the aim of providing the Belarusian authorities with “a full arsenal of legislation designed to hinder any form of opposition”. These amendments include the extension of the death penalty, increased liability for vaguely defined acts, restriction of political rights for Belarusians in exile, and limitations to the freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
Moreover, the report clearly confirms how, after the outbreak of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine on 24 February 2022, repression has been “particularly directed at those expressing their opposition to the war or their support for the Ukrainian people”. Once again, we see how internal repression is linked to external aggression.
Mr. Chair, the number of political prisoners in Belarus now exceeds 1,486 with activists arguing the real number could be significantly higher. For almost three years, peaceful protesters have been met with brutal force from Belarusian authorities. People have been arbitrarily arrested and detained on politically motivated charges. People have been deprived of their right to a fair trial. Lawyers have been intimidated to stay away from defending those charged on political grounds. At least 100,000 Belarusians have been, and continue to be, forced to flee the country – to leave their homes. And independent media, journalists, and other media workers have been under sustained attack.
The report confirms the excessive violence used by the Belarusian authorities to carry out the repression. The mission found that “torture or inhuman or degrading treatment are occurring on a regular and organised basis in places of detention and are particularly targeted at those perceived as political opponents”. Further, the report gives evidence of the practice of mass arrests in people’s homes and the use of violence to gain access to personal data, which is later used against individuals.
Meanwhile, Belarusian authorities continue to enjoy impunity.
Mr. Chair, the UN OHCHR in its latest report on the human rights situation in Belarus presented to the UN Human Rights Council on 22 March concluded that some of the violations committed in Belarus may amount to crimes against humanity.
We appreciate the efforts of the International Accountability Platform for Belarus (IAPB) and other international investigative mechanisms, including under the UN OHCHR, to collect and preserve evidence of the human rights violations in Belarus. Impunity is not an option.
Mr. Chair, the first steps toward security and stability for the people of Belarus remains for the Belarusian authorities to release all those unjustly imprisoned, to end the campaign of violence against peaceful protesters, and to hold perpetrators to account.
As the report concludes, “without accountability and justice [in Belarus], there can be no security and stability in the long run on the European Continent”.
Against this background, and based on the recommendations in Professor Ascencio’s report, we ask the Belarus delegation:
Mr. Chair, we thank Professor Ascensio again for the thorough report, and we remain committed to ensuring that the report – and its recommendations – are followed up.
Thank you.