Statement at the 58th Session of the UN Human Rights Council
Interactive Dialogue with the Group of Independent Experts on Belarus
Delivered by Sigrid Lipott, CIVICUS
Thank you, Mr President.
CIVICUS welcomes the report of the Group of Experts on Belarus. The human rights situation in Belarus remains dire, with authorities continuing their systematic destruction of civil society space.
Since 2020, over 1,900 CSOs have been forcibly liquidated or have opted for self-liquidation. Repression against Belarusian civil society actors continues, including the widespread use of arbitrary detention, torture and ill-treatment of activists, peaceful protesters, journalists, human rights defenders, and lawyers. Those convicted are often held incommunicado. In addition, many Belarusian citizens, including members of political opposition, activists and journalists are currently prosecuted in absentia, with the number of cases increasing over the past year.
While welcoming the release of Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk, we remind that more than 1,200 political prisoners in the country remain detained in dire conditions, including members of the Human Rights Centre Viasna. We also remain concerned about growing risks of exiled activists facing deportation or extradition to Belarus, where they risk prosecution on trumped-up charges including terrorism and national security. We also urge other states to honour their international obligations, such as the non-refoulement principle, when considering the status of Belarusian nationals.
We urge the government of Belarus to release and rehabilitate all those arbitrarily detained for exercising their civic freedoms, and call on states to support the renewal of the mandate of the group of independent experts on the situation of human rights in Belarus and the early renewal of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur - which remain crucial for civil society. We furthermore encourage enhanced cooperation between the two mandates with a view to further advancing accountability.
We thank you.
