UN Special Rapporteur: human rights in Belarus deteriorating

June 19, BPN. The human rights situation in Belarus continued to deteriorate over the past year, says a new report by Anaïs Marin, UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus.

The report covers a one-year period from April 2022 to April 2023 analyzing legislative changes for compliance with international human rights standards.

It focuses on human rights abuse, arbitrary arrests on politically-motivated grounds, torture and ill-treatment in prisons, and expansion and use of the death penalty.

Authorities continued tightening restrictions on freedom of opinion and expression “with regard to public anti-war actions and opposition to Russia’s armed attack on Ukraine,” Marin said.

The report also notes limited opportunities for Belarusians to participate in decision-making and in the public affairs of their country.

The UN Human Rights Council will discuss it on July 5 during its 53rd session in Geneva which opens on June 19.

The full text has not yet been published.