The Legal Initiative has submitted a petition to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, requesting the public recognition of documented cases of torture, ill-treatment, and discrimination against women in places of detention in Belarus.
The petition was joined by known Belarusian human rights organizations, including the Viasna Human Rights Center, Belarusian Helsinki Committee, PEN Belarus, Respect-Protect-Fulfill, and Human Constanta. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor on Legal Affairs, Leanid Marozau, also signed the petition.
In their appeal, human rights defenders stressed the need to launch an investigation in accordance with Article 8 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. In Belarus, an entire system of repression exists in which gender-based violence and ill-treatment have become normalized, particularly against politically imprisoned women.
Leanid Marozau: “This is an important step to ensure that the voices of women who have suffered torture and discrimination are heard in the international community. It is crucial not only to record violations but also to unite efforts to stop ill-treatment and restore justice. We thank human rights defenders for their meticulous work, which is key to drawing international attention to these systemic problems and to protecting the victims”.
At the same time, we appeal to our international partners, the democratic community, and human rights defenders to support this petition publicly.
You can sign the appeal by filling out the form in Russian or in English.
Only through joint efforts can we achieve an end to torture, ill-treatment, and discrimination against women in the penitentiary system.
