UN member states condemn Belarus for systemic repression and widespread torture during human rights review in Geneva
GENEVA: Belarus faced widespread condemnation from numerous countries during a United Nations human rights review on Monday.
Diplomats voiced serious concerns about the country’s deteriorating rights situation and alleged systemic abuses.
Norway’s ambassador Tormod Endresen urged Belarus to immediately end its systemic repression of political opponents.
British human rights ambassador Eleanor Sanders expressed deep concern about Belarus’s continued erosion of human rights.
Many other diplomats echoed these criticisms regarding widespread repression since 2020.
Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Sekreta rejected all criticism as interference in domestic affairs.
He dismissed claims about political prisoners as trumped-up allegations against lawbreakers.
Rights groups maintain that approximately 1,000 political prisoners remain detained in Belarus.
Most detainees were arrested during the brutal crackdown following President Alexander Lukashenko’s disputed re-election.
Belarusian ambassador Larysa Belskaya accused Western countries of manipulating the situation to justify sanctions.
She insisted that elections in Belarus are completely free, fair, lawful and democratic.
Lukashenko has ruled the country since 1994 while suppressing domestic opposition and aligning closely with Russia.
Several diplomats urged Belarus to stop supporting Russia’s military actions in Ukraine.
Belarus received some support from allies including Russia during the UN session.
Russian representative Evgeny Ustinov accused Western countries of whipping up hysteria to destabilise Belarus. – AFP
