In a damning report presented to the UN Human Rights Council, the UN special rapporteur for Belarus, Anaïs Marin, on July 4 highlighted the dire and worsening human rights situation in the country. Marin emphasized that the regime of Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko is actively purging civil society of dissenting voices, leaving the situation "catastrophic."
Marin, who has held the position for five years, reminded the Council that she had previously warned about the "totalitarian turn" taken by the government in Minsk. This turn was evidenced by the "disregard for human life and dignity" displayed during the crackdown on peaceful demonstrators following the rigged presidential election in 2020.
Marin highlighted that more than 1,500 individuals are still detained for political reasons in Belarus, with an average of 17 arbitrary arrests occurring daily since 2020. She raised concerns about the deliberate harsh treatment of those convicted on political grounds, noting that they are often placed in disciplinary cells for minor prison rule violations.
"I have good reason to believe that conditions of detention are deliberately made harsher for those convicted on political grounds, by placing them in disciplinary cells for minor breaches of prison rules", she said.
The situation for human rights defenders in Belarus is particularly concerning, with constant persecution being a common experience. Marin further revealed that over 1,600 "undesirable organizations" have been forcibly dissolved, including all independent trade unions. She argued that this demonstrates a deliberate state policy aimed at purging the country's civic space of dissident elements.
Marin also emphasized the alarming restrictions on independent media and academic freedom. Independent media outlets have been labeled as "extremist organizations," and academic freedom is under systematic attack. Ideological control and disciplinary measures have severely restricted freedom of opinion and expression in the country.
The report further revealed that primary and secondary education in Belarus are subjected to ideological control. Children are discouraged from expressing their own opinions, and dissenting views are met with threats and consequences. This approach undermines the development of critical thinking and stifles freedom of thought among the younger generation.
Following the presentation of the report, Belarus was given the opportunity to respond at the Human Rights Council, but no representative from the country was present.
Comments (0)