UN Expert Says Rights Situation in Belarus Remains Unchanged

The Special Rapporteur said the crackdown has expanded beyond political activists to affect cultural life, education and national identity.

A United Nations human rights expert has warned that the overall human rights situation in Belarus has not improved despite the release of more than 400 political prisoners over the past year. Nils Muižnieks, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, said the prisoner releases were a positive development but did not reflect broader progress. He stressed that lasting improvement would require an end to politically motivated repression and accountability for past human rights violations.

Report highlights continued repression and restrictions

In a report presented to the UN Human Rights Council, Muižnieks described ongoing reports of arbitrary detention, severe ill-treatment of prisoners and the continued use of anti-extremism laws against critics. He also raised concerns about what he described as growing transnational repression targeting Belarusians living abroad.

According to the report, many former detainees have been forced into exile, lost access to valid identity documents or faced criminal prosecutions in absentia. Others remain under surveillance or have been placed on official "extremist" or "terrorist" lists, leading to restrictions on employment, education, banking services and other aspects of daily life.

Cultural freedoms also under pressure

The Special Rapporteur said the crackdown has expanded beyond political activists to affect cultural life, education and national identity. His report points to the persecution of cultural workers, publishers, journalists, educators and researchers, alongside restrictions on the use of the Belarusian language, pressure on ethnic and religious minorities, and efforts to suppress historical memory and national symbols.

Muižnieks called on the Belarusian authorities to stop using extremism legislation against cultural organisations and educational institutions, protect artistic and cultural freedoms, restore access to identity documents for those affected, end forced expulsions and halt the harassment of Belarusians living in exile and their families. He said people should be free to express their language, culture and identity without fear of censorship, discrimination or persecution.