Human Rights House Foundation statement
HRC58 – Item 4 – Interactive Dialogue – Belarus Group of Independent Experts
19 March 2025
Thank you, Vice-President.
The Group of Expert’s findings confirm that systematic violations persist in Belarus at all levels, rising to the level of crimes against humanity in some instances, and which must be addressed by concrete steps towards international accountability.
More than 1,200 political prisoners remain behind bars, including human rights defenders such as Ales Bialiatski, Uladzimir Lab-kovich, Valiantsin Stefanovic, Andrei Chapiuk, Marfa Rabkova and Nasta Loika.
We appeal to Belarus, at the very least, to uphold its obligations under the Convention against Torture and the ICCPR by ensuring that detainees and prisoners receive adequate medical care, legal representation, and protection from incommunicado detention and ill-treatment.
Vice-President.
Examples of transnational repression are growing. Belarusians forced into exile now face prosecution, in absentia. Furthermore, they face the impossible choice of being forced to return to Belarus to renew their passports as they start to expire, risking arrest, political persecution, or enforced disappearance, or being left without valid documentation abroad, limiting their access to essential services and legal residency. In this climate of executive control and total impunity, international scrutiny is vital.
Vice-President.
We ask the Group of Independent Experts, how can States bolster international accountability to ensure redress for victims?
Thank you.
