The UN suspects the Belarusian authorities of crimes against humanity. We are talking about the death of people as a result of the use of violence, as well as torture and inhuman treatment of prisoners, says the UN report on the situation in Belarus, published on Friday, March 17, in Geneva. At the same time, the report notes that the campaign of violence is directed primarily against critics of the ruling regime.
The document recorded alleged crimes in Belarus committed from May 2020 to December 2022, when the human rights situation in this country worsened even more, said the representative of the world organization Liz Trossel. According to her, today in Belarus there are almost 1,500 political prisonersby February of this year, almost 800 non-profit organizations were closed there.
Complete destruction of civil society in Belarus
UN Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk criticized the impunity and near destruction of civil society and fundamental freedoms in Belarus. “Government of Belarus owes its people an end to mass oppression and an objective and transparent investigation in order to bring those responsible for egregious violations to justice,” Turk said.
In preparing the report, UN human rights activists interviewed 207 victims and witnesses, and examined more than 2,500 photographs, videos, medical and court documents. The report documents violence against demonstrators, arbitrary detentions, sexual violence and trials without adequate protection.
The Belarusian authorities are maliciously using the justice system to prosecute journalists, bloggers, human rights activists, trade union activists and lawyers, the UN report emphasizes.
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