Belarus using justice system to silence Lukashenko critics, say UN experts
The experts said arbitrary arrests, torture and closed trials have continued since May 2020, with abuses possibly amounting to crimes against humanity.
- On Tuesday, U.N. experts said Belarusian state institutions have coordinated repression of critics since 2020 through arrests, imprisonment and surveillance, with courts, police, security services and prosecutors acting together to silence opponents.
- Six years after the disputed August 2020 presidential election sparked mass protests, thousands were detained in the crackdown that followed. President Alexander Lukashenko denies holding political prisoners, describing them as "bandits."
- The panel documented "systematic" violations spanning arrest through post-release supervision, including arbitrary arrests, torture, closed trials and harassment of former detainees. The judiciary legitimised abuses and denied victims effective remedies, the report said.
- Experts determined Belarus violated multiple international treaties with some abuses potentially amounting to crimes against humanity. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski told Reuters earlier this month that "the machinery of repression keeps running" despite recent prisoner releases.
- The report will be presented to the U.N. Human Rights Council this week as Belarus maintains its pattern of rejecting international scrutiny. The mission did not immediately respond to comment requests on Tuesday.
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5 Articles
Belarus using justice system to silence Lukashenko critics, say UN experts
Belarusian state institutions have worked together to repress critics of President Alexander Lukashenko's government through every stage of the justice system since 2020, including arrests, imprisonment and surveillance, U.N. experts said on Tuesday.
Belarusian authorities have been using the judiciary for years to suppress critics and dissent, independent UN experts have denounced, highlighting widespread and systematic human rights violations.
Repression Machinery: Belarus's Systematic Silencing of Dissent
A U.N. report reveals systematic repression of dissent in Belarus since 2020, involving arrests, imprisonment, and surveillance of critics of President Lukashenko. The report highlights violations of international human rights through coordinated actions by state institutions and describes the situation as crimes against humanity akin to persecution and imprisonment.
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