Rights group stresses high vulnerability of arrested LGBTQ+ people in Belarus

May 18, BPN. Arrested LGBTQ+ Belarusians have been victims not only of threats but also of police violence, says a report by the International Committee for Investigation of Torture in Belarus (ICIT).

“Our findings confirm the rape of detainees and the use of other forms of sexual and gender-based violence against both men and women,” the report says citing Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. “The medical records we examined indicate the presence of injuries to male genitals.”

The report notes various kinds of torture because of people’s identities revealed through arrests, searches, and forced disclosure of personal information.

Homophobic publications in the state-run media and hate speech by public officials, threats and insults against LGBTQ+ people go unpunished, the report stressed.

Pravavaja Inicyjatyva, a Belarusian rights group, coauthored the report based on the data from the Viasna Human Rights Center.