UN Experts Condemn Belarus for Using Psychiatry to Silence Political Dissent

The UN experts highlighted that the oldest known victim is 77 years old, suggesting that the practice affects a wide demographic.

A group of independent United Nations human rights experts has expressed deep concern over disturbing reports from Belarus involving the systematic abuse of psychiatric institutions to punish individuals for exercising their civil and political rights. The experts have called on the Belarusian government to immediately cease the coercive use of psychiatric treatment against political dissidents and to uphold international human rights standards.

Alarming Pattern of Repression

According to information received by the experts, at least 33 individuals—including five women—have been forcibly transferred to psychiatric institutions since the beginning of the political unrest sparked by the disputed 2020 presidential elections. These individuals reportedly faced such treatment solely for expressing opposition to government authorities.

The UN experts highlighted that the oldest known victim is 77 years old, suggesting that the practice affects a wide demographic. The penal measures involve individuals accused of crimes such as participating in peaceful protests (Article 342), insulting the President (Article 368), insulting representatives of the state (Article 369), terrorism (Article 289), and promoting extremist activities (Article 361-4) under Belarusian law. However, the experts believe that these criminal charges are often politically motivated and used to justify arbitrary detention and forced treatment.

Violation of Fundamental Rights

The experts emphasized that involuntary psychiatric treatment in such contexts may constitute inhuman or degrading punishment. “Forced psychiatric treatment is a threat to freedom of opinion,” they warned, noting that such interventions—including medication and electroshock therapy—could be used to impair cognitive function and suppress dissent.

They underscored that the right to freedom of opinion is absolute and inviolable under international human rights law, and any attempt to restrict it through punitive psychiatric measures constitutes a flagrant violation.

Opaque Legal Processes

Another key concern raised by the experts relates to the lack of transparency in the judicial processes leading to compulsory psychiatric treatment. The decisions are reportedly made during closed-door trials without public oversight or adequate legal defense. This undermines the basic principles of justice and due process.

Furthermore, once admitted to psychiatric institutions, individuals are often held incommunicado, without any contact with the outside world and under the unrestrained authority of the head physician. Unlike inmates in regular prisons, these individuals are reportedly denied the right to appeal their detention, request parole, or apply for pardon—effectively placing them in a legal and humanitarian black hole.

Potential Cases of Enforced Disappearance

While reports indicate that eight individuals have been released, at least 25 remain unaccounted for, with no available information regarding their condition or whereabouts. This has raised fears of enforced disappearances—a serious human rights violation under international law.

The UN experts noted that the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has previously ruled that using psychiatric detention to suppress political expression is a severe breach of human rights and international legal standards.

Call to Action

In a strong rebuke of Belarusian authorities, the experts declared:

“The deployment of psychiatric institutions as instruments of repression not only undermines the integrity of mental healthcare but also erodes the fundamental principles of justice and the rule of law. The shameful practice of so-called punitive psychiatry violates the sanctity of human dignity, as enshrined in international human rights instruments.”

They urged the Belarusian government to immediately guarantee access to independent legal counsel for all affected individuals and to provide them with effective remedies to challenge their involuntary confinement. The experts have also formally communicated their concerns to the government of Belarus and are awaiting a response.

The broader international community is now watching closely, as this issue represents not just a domestic matter but a test of the global commitment to human rights in the face of authoritarian repression.