The United Nations Office at Geneva
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HRC54 - Deputy HC on Belarus
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11:11
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Teleprompter
Excellencies, colleagues, we will now begin the interactive dialogue on the oral update of the **** Commissioner on the situation of human rights in Belarus in the run up to the 2020 presidential election and in its aftermath.
Proceeding to cancel Resolution 52 slash 29.
It's my honour to welcome to the podium Miss Nada Al Nashif, Deputy **** Commissioner for Human Rights, and the three appointed independent experts, Miss Karima Muscalenko, Miss Monica Platek and Miss Suzanne Brazile.
The list of speakers will close in 15 minutes.
As my pleasure and honour to give the floor to the Deputy **** Commissioner.
Madam, you have the floor.
Thank you very much, Mr.
President, Your Excellencies.
Dear colleagues.
I welcome the opportunity to address the Council and provide an update on the human rights situation in Belarus in accordance with Resolution fifty 2/29.
Three years.
From the contested presidential elections.
Of August.
2020 the human rights situation in Belarus remains grave, showing no signs of improvement On the contrary, we are witnessing the further shrinking of.
Civic Space.
And continuing lack of respect for fundamental freedoms, evidenced by a campaign of violence and repression against individuals.
Who oppose the?
Government or?
Who are perceived to be?
Doing so expressing critical or independent views, systematic impunity continues.
To allow those who are responsible.
For gross human rights violations to evade.
Accountability for their.
Actions.
The documentation of OHCHR reveals an ongoing and distressing pattern of.
Arbitrary arrests.
And prosecutions on Trumped.
Up charges.
The targeting of various segments of society, including government critics, human rights defenders, journalists, academics, trade unions, religious figures, members of minorities, lawyers.
And others who seek to exercise.
Their fundamental rights.
As of.
This month, September 2023.
The Belarus.
Authorities crackdown on those.
Critical or perceived to be critical?
Of the government has resulted in over 3750 individuals being convicted in criminal trials.
Characterised by.
Severe and.
Disproportionate prison?
Sentences.
With little regard for due process or indeed the right to a fair trial.
Notably, pursuant to amendments to criminal codes made in 2022, trials in absentia are now possible and have been conducted against prominent political opponents and individuals currently residing outside Belarus.
Inside Belarus, 1500 individuals are currently detained on charges that our.
Office believes to be.
Politically motivated, I am deeply concerned about the conditions of detention in particular.
For those charged or.
Convicted on politically motivated.
Charges.
Detainees, both men and women.
Are subjected to torture.
And I'll treatment, including beatings, overcrowding, sleep deprivation, denial of access to medical.
Care repeated.
Solitary.
Confinement and unsafe.
Or exploitative.
Compulsory labour.
In addition, some detainees.
Were subjected to severe.
Psychological violence, including death threats.
**** threats sexually.
Abusive comments, insults, and other forms of *****.
**** profile opposition.
Figures in human rights defenders serving sentences.
Face broad.
Restrictions in contacting their families.
Or lawyers.
With some of them held fully incommunicado for months, their families lacking official information about their.
Whereabouts.
Or conditions.
Of particular.
Concern is the increasing.
Difficulty for.
Detainees.
To access.
Legal assistance over 100 lawyers.
Have been.
Disbarred since 2020, with some being detained even.
Prosecuted for.
Fulfilling their professional duties, over 200 lawyers have in fact chosen to leave the profession, while many have fled the country.
Due to fear of arrest, we are deeply troubled by the reported.
Deaths in detention, including.
Cases of suicide.
I remind the government of its special responsibility.
For the.
Safety and health.
Of all.
Persons in its custody and call for thorough investigation of each and every.
Such death, whatever the cause.
To clearly.
Establish the.
Facts and circumstances to ensure.
The.
Appropriate accountability and to enable measures to be put in place.
To avoid.
Recurrence.
Since our last update, the authorities have further.
Tightened their.
Already far reaching control over.
Civic space again.
As of this month, the government's so-called extremist list includes almost 3300.
Individuals.
The authorities.
Are increasingly employed employing the label extremism to stifle dissent.
Loosely.
Classifying activities.
Described as.
Disseminating false information, insulting officials, discrediting institutions, organising mass riots, calling for sanctions and inciting.
Social hatred.
As also constituting extremist.
Acts Subject.
To criminal penalty.
The particular.
Situation once again of journalists is alarming with more than 670.
Arrests recorded.
By the Belarusian Association of Journalists since 2020.
The crackdown on civil society organisations continues, with as many as 900 NGOs being dissolved and 492 organisations forced to shut down to avoid criminal prosecution.
Similarly, new restrictions on political party registration raise concerns as they.
Effectively exclude.
Opposition parties, including from participation in the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled.
For February of.
2024 I am deeply concerned by recent legislative.
Proposals that, if adopted, would pose.
Significant threats to communities and individuals, exposing them to discrimination and harassment.
One such troubling draught aims to unduly.
Regulate religious groups.
Imposing restrictions on their activities and religious education based once again on vague terms such as extremism, terrorism or incompatibility.
With the ideology of the Belarusian.
State another discriminatory.
Proposal seeks to arbitrarily restrict.
Freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association of members of the.
LGBTI.
Community Under.
The guise of.
Prohibiting so-called propaganda.
This proposal.
Also aims to penalise.
A so-called child free lifestyle.
In violation of personal freedom and.
Reproductive choice of individuals.
The recent expansion of the application of the death penalty to include the ill defined crime of terrorism and **** treason by government officials or members of the armed forces is similarly alarming and distressing.
Running flatly counter to the worldwide movement away from the death penalty, I note with deep concern that dozens of activists and human rights defenders have been charged with terrorism, and may therefore.
Run the risk.
Of capital sentences for conduct that is entirely protected on the international human rights law.
Once again, I urge an immediate moratorium on the imposition of the death penalty.
As a first step towards.
Its eventual abolition.
Against this grim background, the situation in Belarus has forced at least an estimated 300,000 persons to leave the country since May 2020, and the repression is increasingly extending beyond the.
Borders of Belarus.
Targeting those.
Who have already left?
Regrettably, many have been added to the government's extremist lists, as I outlined.
While their.
Relatives and friends remaining in Belarus face tremendous pressure and at times direct retaliation from the authorities.
In this context, amendments to the Citizenship law.
Effective since July of this year.
Are deeply concerning.
They provide the authorities with the power to revoke.
The citizenship of individuals residing abroad who have been convicted, including an absentia of extremism or and I quote, causing serious harm to the interests.
Of Belarus.
Additionally, Belarusians are required to inform the.
Authorities.
About their.
Residences Abroad.
Leading to heightened surveillance of those in exile.
As well.
As their families remaining at home, these amendments risk inflicting statelessness and provide.
Broad space for *****.
And misuse.
They should be repealed.
Of further concern, on 4 September, a presidential.
Decree was issued.
Ordering Belarusian diplomatic missions.
Abroad to stop.
The issuance and renewal.
Of passports.
For Belarusians in those countries, Mr.
President, our office.
Deeply regrets.
The government's ongoing lack of cooperation.
We call on the government to engage constructively.
With our.
Office and other human rights mechanisms.
Urgent actions are needed, including the prompt release of detainees and prisoners charged on politically motivated grounds.
Human rights violations, including the systematic repression of civil society, independent media and opposition groups, must end.
Belarus.
Should take immediate steps to uphold human rights and protect all individuals within its borders.
I call for prompt.
Effective.
Thorough.
Independent, impartial and transparent investigations into past human rights violations, ensuring appropriate remedies and holding those.
Responsible to.
Account.
In light of the.
Prevailing impunity in the country Member States.
Should actively support.
Other forms of accountability, notably through national proceedings based on established principles.
Of extraterritorial.
And universal jurisdiction consistent with international law.
I would express our.
Acknowledgement and gratitude to the many victims.
The survivors.
The members of civil society.
Who have shared the?
Often deeply painful experiences in cooperation with our office.
I'm especially.
Grateful to our experts.
Karina Moskalenko, Suzanne Bazili and Monica Platek for their.
Invaluable advice to the office.
In the discharge of this mandate and for the continued.
Support provided by.
The Council.
Special Rapporteur.
On Belarus.
A detailed report with.
Recommendations will be presented at the next council session.