Belarus - Universal Periodic Review

UPR 36, November 2, 2020
Recommendations by Canada

Recommendations

Thank you Madame President.

Canada remains seriously concerned about the state of human rights in Belarus, which have significantly deteriorated following the fraudulent presidential elections of August 2020. 

As a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and UN Convention against Torture, Belarus must uphold its international responsibilities and obligations.

Canada recommends that the Republic of Belarus:

1. Take immediate measures to prevent all torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment or punishment; investigate promptly and impartially all allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; and ensure that perpetrators are held accountable. 
2. Take immediate measures to allow journalists and other media workers to work without fear of detention or undue restriction and improve access to information.
3. Respect the right of peaceful assembly; release all individuals arbitrarily detained for participation in peaceful protests.
4. Abolish the death penalty.

Background

Belarus possesses a post-Soviet judicial and law enforcement system that heavily curtails civil liberties and in which electoral processes fall profoundly short of democratic standards. The government has strict control over the media and the internet. Until 2020, political opposition to the government was limited and considered risky due to reprisals such as the potential for detention, loss of employment, smear campaigns, fines, and confiscation of property.

Following the last UPR cycle, Belarus made incremental progress with the release of political prisoners in 2015 and the adoption of the National Human Rights Action Plan for 2016–2019. Disappointingly, these developments have not led to systemic change. Belarus remains the only European country to use the death penalty and the State continues to limit space for civil society and independent media.

Recent events following the illegitimate and fraudulent August 2020 presidential elections demonstrate the State’s blatant disregard for basic democratic principles and fundamental human rights. Belarusian authorities have used violence to crack down on peaceful protestors, arrested, detained and expelled members of the political opposition, and detained individuals exercising their rights to freedom of assembly and expression. Journalists and media workers covering the election campaign and subsequent protests have been harassed, beaten, detained, or have had their accreditations revoked. There are numerous credible allegations of sexual and gender-based violence, torture, and cruel treatment of detainees. According to the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, as of September 2020, over 10,000 people have been arrested since the election and over 500 cases of torture have been reported.