UN rights chief decries ‘systematic repression’ in Belarus

“Our report paints an unacceptable picture of impunity and the near-total destruction of civic space and fundamental freedoms in Belarus,” Türk mentioned in an announcement, calling on the Minsk authorities to finish “this mass repression” and to hold out neutral investigations to make sure accountability.

Critics say the repression is constant, and rights advocates in Belarus sounded the alarm on Tuesday a few new heavy crackdown on dissent by the authoritarian authorities that noticed over 100 folks detained in every week.

Authorities focused opposition activists, journalists, medical employees, members of capturing sports activities golf equipment and folks working with drones, in line with Viasna, Belarus’ oldest and most distinguished rights group.

The U.N. report pointed to the beatings of 1000’s of peaceable protesters in August 2020 — the most important demonstrations ever within the nation — following broadly contested elections that gave President Alexander Lukashenko one other time period.

It lamented greater than a dozen legislative amendments adopted during the last two years that focus on political activists and opponents, and mentioned that almost 1,500 persons are at present in detention on “politically motivated charges.” Nearly 800 nongovernmental teams had been shut down as of final month, the report mentioned.

Lukashenko, a longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin who backed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has dominated the ex-Soviet nation with an iron fist since 1994.