UN experts say Belarus justice system was used to target Lukashenko opponents

United Nations experts have said Belarusian state institutions have worked together since 2020 to repress critics of President Alexander Lukashenko. In a report due to be presented to the UN Human Rights Council this week, they said courts, police, security services, prosecutors and prison authorities acted in concert to silence real or perceived opponents. The findings focus on arrests, imprisonment, surveillance and the wider treatment of detainees and former detainees.

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The report says the violations were systematic and extended from arrest through detention, conviction and post-release supervision. It cites arbitrary arrests, torture, denial of legal safeguards, closed trials and continued harassment after release. The experts also said the judiciary played a key role by legitimising abuses and denying victims effective remedies.

They said Belarus had not cooperated with their work, with requests to visit the country and engage with authorities left unanswered. The report says Belarus has previously rejected UN criticism of its human rights record. It also reiterates earlier findings that some abuses committed since May 2020 could amount to crimes against humanity, including persecution and imprisonment.

The experts said the state violated multiple international treaties. Their conclusions add to long-running concerns about the treatment of political opponents in a country where Lukashenko has been in power since 1994. The findings come against the backdrop of the crackdown that followed the August 2020 presidential election, which Lukashenko won again and which the opposition and Western governments condemned as rigged.

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Thousands of people were arrested during the protests that followed, and rights groups continue to document political prisoners in the country. The report therefore places current allegations within a broader pattern that has been under scrutiny for several years. The issue remains politically sensitive because it concerns the role of core state institutions, not only individual officials.

It also has possible legal implications if the conduct described is judged to meet the threshold for crimes against humanity. The report is expected to be discussed at the Human Rights Council, while Belarus has so far shown no sign of engaging with the experts' requests. What remains unclear is whether the report will lead to any new international action or changes in Belarus's approach.

The experts' findings are based on their assessment of patterns of abuse, but the authorities have not responded publicly in the material provided. Further attention will likely focus on the council discussion, any reaction from Minsk and whether the situation for detainees and former detainees changes.

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