The operation of the UN mechanism is pivotal in the face of an unprecedented scale of human rights violations in Belarus. Belarusian authorities are continuing their persecution of the civil society including human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, and Poles in Belarus.

The mechanism has become even more important as the Belarussian authorities have additionally tightened their repression against the country’s own society since the beginning of this year. Political show trials have begun, aimed at intimidating and breaking anyone critical of the Minsk authorities' policies. Long-term imprisonment was imposed on, among others, Andrzej Poczobut, journalist and one of the leaders of the Union of Poles in Belarus, Ales Bialiatski, 2022 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and the leader of Viasna, Maryna Zolotava and Ludmila Chekina, journalists of the independent Tut.by portal, as well as Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Pavel Latushka, leaders of democratic Belarus sentenced in absentia.

The number of political prisoners in Belarus has been steadily growing and has already exceeded 1450. Not one of them was released under the amnesty, which has been announced for several months now. Worse still, the Belarusian authorities have begun to persecute lawyers who dared to defend political prisoners, in order to further intimidate those unlawfully detained and cut off their means of communication. A recent suicide attempt by the blogger Ihar Losik clearly shows the dramatic conditions in Belarusian prisons and detention facilities.

After Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, which received political, military and logistical support from the Minsk authorities, the application of the death penalty in Belarus has been extended several times to include state treason committed by an officer holding a responsible post, a public officer or a person with military status. Citizens expressing opposition to the war and the involvement of Belarus in it are being severely punished.

The Poles in Belarus, whom the Minsk authorities treat as political hostages, continue to be persecuted.

We urge the Belarusian authorities to:

·        release and rehabilitate all political prisoners, a step which is a prerequisite for launching a dialogue to resolve the internal crisis in Belarus;

·        hold to account all those responsible for the ongoing repression and the inhuman treatment of people detained by the Belarusian services;

·        cease their policy of national discrimination and persecution of Poles in Belarus, including the destruction of their identity and historical heritage;

·        cease violating international law and supporting Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

Poland will continue its policy of supporting the aspirations of the Belarusian people to build a free, democratic, sovereign and strong Belarus that is firmly linked to the European family of democratic states and that works to strengthen European security.