UN rapporteur calls for gathering evidence of Belarus abuses

July 5, BPN. The UN special rapporteur on Belarus has called on the international community to continue supporting evidence-gathering initiatives and mechanisms for the country, citing a deteriorating human rights situation there.

In her statement, Anaïs Marin particularly highlighted the need for evidence of torture, summary executions and other serious crimes, after reprisals reached unprecedented levels in 2020.

She expressed concern about “the notable increase in the practice of incommunicado detention, which targets political opposition members and civil society activists currently behind bars.”

Previously, Marin said in a report that the state deliberately conducted a policy to clean up the last dissenting elements.

She also documented ongoing reprisals against independent media and trade unions, and recalled that 1,500 people were behind bars for political reasons.