Open letter to: Permanent Representatives of Member and Observer States of the United Nations Human Rights Council
Excellencies,
We, the undersigned organisations, write ahead of the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) to urge your government to support the renewal and strengthening of the mandates of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus and the Group of Independent Experts on the Situation of Human Rights in Belarus (Group of Experts). The continuation of both of these mandates is vital to address an unrelenting human rights crisis that persists inside the country.
In its report to the 58th session of HRC, the Group of Experts conclude that Belarusian authorities are using arbitrary detention on a vast scale, often accompanied by torture or other ill-treatment, as well as politically motivated persecution, as a primary means of silencing dissent. The Group of Experts conclude that the crime against humanity of persecution on political grounds has been committed against Belarusians whom the government has identified as its critics.
In addition, Belarusian civil society organisations report that:
- Authorities continue to prosecute individuals for peaceful civic or political activity, with reports indicating continued waves of arrests and convictions on politically motivated charges, impacting a broad cross-section of society. In 2024 the first capital punishment sentence was issued for politically-motivated crime.
- Despite high-profile “Presidential pardons”, which in their limited numbers should not be viewed as an indicator of improvement, Viasna reports that more than 1,200 individuals continue to be detained or imprisoned under fabricated or politically-motivated charges. Many are held in conditions that fail to meet international standards and subjected to severe restrictions or torture or other ill-treatment, including a number of individuals in prolonged incommunicado detention that may amount to enforced disappearance.
- Independent Belarusian NGOs, grassroots groups, and media outlets face ongoing harassment, liquidations or forced closures. The suffocation of independent civil society serves to effectively prevent public scrutiny of further government actions.
- More than twenty years of non-compliance by the Government of Belarus with the recommendations of the ILO Commission of Inquiry, the forced liquidation of all independent trade unions in 2022, and the resolution of the International Labour Conference in 2023 on the application of Article 33 of the ILO Constitution to the Government of Belarus, all confirm the complete absence of the freedom of association in the country.
- Recent electoral procedures in the context of the 2025 Presidential election were criticised as involving coercion, a lack of transparency, the exclusion of independent observers, and no meaningful political competition or genuine public participation.
- Despite numerous credible allegations of torture and other ill-treatment of critics of the government, there remains no avenue for accountability at domestic level. Belarusian authorities consistently fail to investigate credible reports of human rights violations and abuses, perpetuating a climate of fear, impunity and lawlessness. In addition, lawyers defending individuals arrested are systematically harassed, disbarred, arrested and targeted, leaving those tried and imprisoned without means to challenge their arbitrary detention.
- Furthermore, the authorities also continue to persecute those Belarusians forced into exile, including through politically motivated criminal charges, trials and sentences in absentia, as well as threats and intimidation to them and their families.
The complementary work of both HRC mandates is essential in addressing this crisis. The Group of Experts focuses on collecting, consolidating, preserving and analysing evidence of grave human rights violations and abuses and, where possible, identifying those responsible, in view of future judicial criminal proceedings in courts and tribunals with competent jurisdiction. Such work is indispensable for breaking cycles of impunity and securing redress for victims. The Special Rapporteur, in contrast, maintains a “bridge” with Belarusian civil society, and ensures the international community are kept abreast of new and evolving human rights challenges in Belarus. This broader monitoring role ensures that violations of all fundamental rights—civil, political, economic, social, and cultural—remain on the Council’s agenda.
By mandating both an accountability-focused mechanism and an expert monitor, the HRC ensures that the systematic nature and gravity of the crisis receive the in-depth scrutiny they demand. Renewing and strengthening each mechanism sends an unequivocal message that the international community remains vigilant and committed to supporting those seeking justice and freedom in Belarus.
The people of Belarus have suffered a protracted, intensifying campaign of repression that no individual or civil society organisation can withstand alone. The international community’s resolve to secure accountability and uphold fundamental freedoms is critical to any meaningful redress. We therefore urge your delegation to support a strong resolution that renews both mandates and, through them, sustains the essential scrutiny and rigorous investigative work to which victims of abuses and violations are entitled.
Yours sincerely,
- Amnesty International
- Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House
- Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions
- Belarusian Helsinki Committee
- Belarusian National Youth Council ‘RADA’
- Human Constanta
- Human Rights Center “Viasna”
- Human Rights House Foundation
- Human Rights Watch
- International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI)
- International Trade Union Confederation
- Lawtrend
- Legal Initiative
- PEN Belarus
- Rabochy Ruсh
- Respect-Protect-Fulfill
- World Organisation against Torture
