mechanisms documenting the administrative and judicial measures taken to investigate and prosecute such crimes and on the sentences imposed on perpetrators. Harassment of lawyers 44. The Committee regrets that the State party has not implemented its previous recommendation to undertake effective investigations into the disbarment and harassment of lawyers representing individuals who complained of torture after being detained in connection with the events of 19 December 2010 (CAT/C/BLR/CO/5, para. 12). The Committee is also deeply concerned at new allegations that several lawyers for defendants in the “mass riots” cases of March 2017 faced a mandatory extraordinary review of their licences. The Committee is further concerned at the degree of control exercised by the Ministry of Justice over the bar association. (arts. 2, 12 and 13). 45. The Committee recommends that the State party strengthen the independence of the bar association from the Ministry of Justice and ensure its self-government. The State party should fully investigate the past incidents of disbarment of lawyers representing individuals who have complained of torture and ill-treatment and reinstate their licences, as appropriate. Human rights defenders 46. The Committee welcomes the commitment expressed by the State party during the dialogue to remove article 193 of the Criminal Code, which currently criminalizes participation in unregistered organisations. However, the Committee reiterates its serious concerns at persistent allegations that human rights defenders and journalists in State party are subjected to intimidation, harassment, arrest, and torture and ill-treatment (arts. 2, 12, 16). The Committee is particularly concerned at reports of widespread harassment of human rights defenders and journalists by public officials before the February and March 2017 protests and at the arrest and imprisonment of Mikhail Zhamchuzhny and Dzmitry Paliyenka. 47. The Committee urges the State party to (a) Remove expeditiously article 193 of the Criminal Code, which currently criminalizes participation in unregistered organisations, in line with its commitment during the dialogue with the Committee. Pending removal of this article, the State party’s authorities should discourage police from invoking it as grounds for arresting and prosecuting human rights defenders and journalists; (b) Desist from detaining and prosecuting human rights defenders and journalists on other grounds as a means of intimidation or reprisal. It should ensure effective, impartial investigations are undertaken into allegations of arbitrary arrest and prosecution of human rights defenders and journalists, including Mikhail Zhamchuzhny and Dzmitry Paliyenka. National human rights institution 48. The Committee regrets that the State party has not yet created a national human rights institution in accordance with the Paris Principles, though it is studying the possibility of doing so (art. 2). 49. The Committee urges the State party to establish an independent national human rights institution in accordance with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles). Definition of torture 50. The Committee regrets that the Criminal Code of Belarus does not define torture as a separate offence and notes that other relevant articles of the Criminal Code highlighted by the delegation of the State party during the dialogue do not include all acts of torture and the purposes for which it is used as stipulated in article 1 of the Convention, and that they do not provide for punishment of torture with penalties commensurate with their grave nature (arts. 1, 2, 4 and 5). 11