Belarus – The Court is at the Service of the Regime – Political Prisoners Tortured in Prison

Authoritative international organizations have identified gross violations of human rights and crimes against humanity committed by the Belarusian authorities.

As of 2024, the Viasna Human Rights Center had recorded 6,550 cases of people sentenced to various types of punishment in politically motivated cases.

Of these, 1,380 are women. Last year, this number was 1,721, including 480 women.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatsky remains in prison. He is currently being held in a so-called correctional facility.

According to Viasna, at least 8,895 people have been subjected to various types of repression, including criminal or administrative prosecution.

They have been detained, interrogated, and searched. A quarter of those repressed are women.

The report states:

“Political prisoners are subjected to particularly harsh conditions. They are subject to strict supervision and restrictions that are not provided for by law.

Consequently, many political prisoners are deprived of the opportunity to maintain hygiene, receive medication, and see a lawyer and family. In addition, political prisoners’ correspondence is subject to arbitrary restrictions.

More than 10 political prisoners are in “incommunicado” detention.

Four political prisoners have died in “correctional institutions.”

Political prisoners are subjected to forced labor with low wages. And after serving their sentences, former political prisoners are subject to strict control upon release. The rights of convicts are further restricted if they are included in the so-called list of persons involved in extremist activities.

In politically motivated administrative, criminal and civil cases, courts continue to operate as instruments of repression against the accused.

The activities of many associations/organizations in Belarus are subject to their criminalization by the authorities.

Persecution of peaceful freedom of expression continues under the “pretext” of combating terrorism and extremism and protecting national security interests.

Repression against journalists, media workers and bloggers has intensified.

The Belarusian authorities continue to use torture and other ill-treatment against dissidents and members of the opposition.

There have been no cases of investigation and prosecution at the national level of those responsible for torture and other serious human rights violations in August 2020 and since.