The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, Anais Marin, will present a report on Belarus at today’s meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
The report describes the situation of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights in Belarus in 2020 and early 2021. The document described mass repression, harassment, torture and ill-treatment of detainees, pressure on journalists, medical personnel, lawyers and human rights defenders, and other human rights violations.
The Special Rapporteur calls upon the Government of Belarus:
- Immediately release and rehabilitate all political prisoners;
- Immediately cease criminal and administrative prosecution of the political opposition, human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, medical personnel and civil society activists, Exercising their professional duties to protect fundamental human rights and fundamental freedoms;
- Conduct independent investigations into human rights violations, identify all those responsible and bring to justice those responsible;
- Put an end to the practice of expelling persons who disagree with the authorities, including political opposition leaders and members of civil society, and ensure their safe return to Belarus;
- Undertake a comprehensive review and reform of national human rights legislation to bring it into line with international law and the State’s international human rights obligations;
- To resume the national dialogue in Belarus;
- Create an enabling environment for independent media, including full and unhindered access to the Internet for all;
- Guarantee detainees and detainees unhindered access to a lawyer of their choice and to cease any harassment or intimidation of lawyers.
“Lawlessness and arbitrariness prevail in Belarus: torture continues in prisons and people are expelled from their own country. The regime feels impunity. The report of United Nations Special Rapporteur Anais Marin will open the eyes of many on the scale of repression in Belarus. Of particular importance is the demand for the rehabilitation of political prisoners and for those responsible for reprisals to be brought to justice. All Belarusians should be able to return home. We will continue to work with human rights defenders and colleagues from the UN to use all available tools in the UN to re-establish legality in Belarus», said Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
