Belarus: Violations remain ‘widespread and systematic’, says independent expert group
- Date: 2025-02-14 12:00
- Source: Top Stories
Article:
An independent group of experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council has found that human rights violations in Belarus remain “widespread and systematic.”
In a report released on February 14, 2025, the experts said that they had documented “grave violations” of human rights, including arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture and ill-treatment, and suppression of dissent.
The report said that these violations had been committed “with impunity” by the Belarusian authorities, and that the government had failed to take any meaningful steps to address them.
The experts called on the Belarusian authorities to “immediately cease” these violations and to hold those responsible to account. They also called on the international community to take action to support the people of Belarus and to hold the authorities accountable for their actions.
The report is based on interviews with over 500 victims of human rights violations, as well as with human rights defenders, journalists, and other experts. The experts also reviewed official documents and visited detention centers and prisons in Belarus.
The experts said that the human rights situation in Belarus has deteriorated significantly since the August 2020 presidential election, which was widely seen as rigged. In the wake of the election, the authorities launched a brutal crackdown on protesters and opposition figures.
The report said that the authorities had used “excessive and unnecessary force” against protesters, and that hundreds of people had been arrested and detained. Many of those arrested were subjected to torture and ill-treatment, and some died in custody.
The report also said that the authorities had suppressed dissent by closing down independent media outlets, arresting journalists, and blocking access to the internet.
The experts said that the Belarusian authorities had failed to investigate or prosecute those responsible for these violations. They said that the authorities had created a climate of impunity, in which human rights defenders and other critics of the government were at risk of being targeted.
The experts called on the Belarusian authorities to take immediate steps to address the human rights crisis in the country. They said that the authorities should release all political prisoners, end the suppression of dissent, and hold those responsible for human rights violations to account.
The experts also called on the international community to take action to support the people of Belarus and to hold the authorities accountable for their actions. They said that the international community should impose sanctions on the Belarusian authorities, and should provide support to human rights defenders and other civil society groups.
Belarus: Violations remain ‘widespread and systematic’, says independent expert group
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