The UN human rights investigator for Belarus said Monday that Belarus needs to “promptly stop repressing its own people” and should establish an independent judicial system to overcome its current political crisis. This call follows demonstrations against President Alexander Lukashenko’s re-election for a sixth term in August, which some claim was rigged.
During a presentation to the UN General Assembly on Monday, investigator Anaïs Marin said that there were “numerous human rights issues on the table” that needed to be addressed. She stated that the executive branch in Belarus has “excessive control,” because the president has absolute power to appoint and remove judges. This extends to prosecutors as well, so prosecutions are often undertaken, or not undertaken, for political reasons.
Marin also said that lawyers were arbitrarily threatened to be disbarred depending upon whom they chose to defend. This was used to pressure lawyers perceived as critical of the government and “often leaves human rights defenders without a lawyer to defend them in court.”
Since the August 9 election, 20,000 individuals have reportedly been detained for peacefully protesting. Hundreds were reportedly beaten, intimidated, tortured, or poorly treated while they were detained, and many faced administrative criminal charges. More than 400 criminal cases were launched against protesters since the election. According to Marin, the government selectively intimidates and harasses dissenters, especially women. She also noted great concern for children being detained for “disproportionately long prison terms” with a “low standard of healthcare available.”
Marin called for the government to stop oppressing its people and to release those in detainment. She stated:
In the absence of an independent national human rights institution, the deeply-rooted, systemic deficiencies of the judiciary, which I highlight in my report, imply that the fundamental freedoms and human rights of Belarusians are not only being violated on a daily basis: they are left unprotected. Promoting them is our collective responsibility.
