Belarusian authorities abusing anti-terrorism laws – UN special rapporteur

October 26, Pozirk. Belarusian authorities are abusing anti-terrorism and anti-extremism laws to purge civil society, stifle freedom of expression and eliminate political opposition, said Anaïs Marin, the United Nations’ special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Belarus.

“Many opposition figures, civil society activists, human rights defenders, lawyers and journalists have been abusively labeled as ‘extremists,’ detained and prosecuted since 2020,” she said, as quoted by the UN Human Rights Office.

“Harassment, repression and fear compelled those who are not behind bars to seek refuge abroad,” she added.

In her report to the UN General Assembly, Marin said that the vague definitions of “terrorism” and “extremism” in Belarusian legislation can cover even the legitimate implementation of human rights.

The expert pointed to the increasing number of convictions for “terrorism” against people who tried to document or prevent the transfer of Russian troops and equipment through Belarus to Ukraine. The number of crimes punishable by death has been expanded to include “planned” acts of terrorism and high treason, she said.

She continued by saying that “the weaponization of legislation is possible because there are no guarantees of fair trial in Belarus, while court hearings behind closed doors and non-disclosure agreements imposed on lawyers are widespread.”

Those accused of terrorism or extremism by the Committee for State Security (KGB) are blacklisted and intimidated “outside of any judicial process,” she said.

The Ministry of Information maintains a list of “extremist” content that includes websites of human rights organizations, media, and even works of art, she said.

She also expressed concern about legislative changes that apparently target hundreds of thousands of Belarusian emigrants. “Those found guilty of ‘extremism’ or ‘terrorism’ risk being stripped of their citizenship and having their assets and properties in Belarus seized,” she said.

She called on the Belarusian authorities to stop abusing anti-terrorism and anti-extremism laws and to release all those convicted for political reasons.