Mr. Chairman. The United States has received credible reports -- chiefly from well-known and established non-governmental organizations -- that the Government of Belarus intends to disbar and revoke the professional license of civil defense attorney Vera Stremkovskaya in retaliation for remarks she made during a September visit to the United States that were critical of Belarus' human rights record.

Such actions, if true, would violate the International Convenant on Civil and Political rights, to which Belarus is a state party.

They would also contravene Belarus' commitments as an OSCE participating State to promote freedom of movement of peoples and ideas and freedom of expression.

We speak on the issue today, Mr. Chairman, because of what we perceive may be an emerging pattern of restricting the independence of the bar in Belarus. In addition to Ms. Stremkovskaya, two other prominent defense lawyers, Nadezdha Dudareeva and Gary Pogonyailo, were disbarred earlier this year on similarly arbitrary grounds.

We urge Belarus to report fully on the Stremkovskaya case, and to abide by its OSCE commitments with respect to the rights of lawyers such as Ms. Stremkovskaya to express their views and to practice their profession without fear of reprisal.