Belarus releases political prisoners amid ongoing human rights concerns News
By Viktar Palstsiuk - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link
Belarus releases political prisoners amid ongoing human rights concerns

A UN human rights expert on Wednesday welcomed the recent release of several prisoners convicted in connection with protests following Belarus’ disputed 2020 presidential election.  They also cautioned that the move should not be read as a broader improvement in the country’s human rights situation.

Nils Muižnieks, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, emphasized that systemic repression remains entrenched in the country. Belarusian authorities reportedly continue to hold large numbers of political prisoners, many of whom face ill treatment, restricted access to medical care, and punitive detention conditions.

Concerns about detainees’ health have been raised repeatedly by human rights groups. In May, a group of independent experts urged Belarus to release political detainees with disabilities or serious medical conditions, warning that continued detention could result in irreversible harm. According to the Belarusian human rights organization Viasna, at least 219 political prisoners are considered high risk, with dozens suffering from chronic or acute illnesses. UN experts have also expressed alarm over reports of deliberate mistreatment and denial of medical care to detainees linked to the 2020 protests.

Mass demonstrations erupted across Belarus after the August 2020 election, which returned President Aliaksandr Lukashenko to power amid widespread allegations of election fraud. Security forces responded with mass arrests and violent crackdowns on largely peaceful protesters. Human rights organizations documented torture, inhuman detention conditions, and the suppression of independent media and election monitors. Thousands were detained in the months following the vote, and authorities launched hundreds of politically motivated criminal cases against protesters, journalists, and opposition figures.

In 2024, the UN Human Rights Office found reasonable grounds to believe that Belarusian officials may have committed crimes against humanity through persecution of political opponents. While authorities released more than 200 political prisoners under presidential pardons in 2024, many were reportedly forced to admit guilt as a condition of release. At the same time, at least 1,275 people remain imprisoned on politically motivated charges, with dozens facing new prosecutions that extend their sentences. Political prisoners continue to be held incommunicado, denied contact with lawyers and family. Human rights groups have reported multiple preventable deaths in custody in 2024 linked to delayed or inadequate medical care.

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