The convictions of journalists, members of the opposition and activists in Belarus are "
motivated by political considerations
", denounced the UN on Wednesday.
During the presentation of a recent report to the Human Rights Council, the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif, denounced the "severe and disproportionate
sentences
" that have recently been handed down in Belarus, considering that there were “
reasonable grounds to believe that (these convictions) are motivated by political considerations
”.
serious concerns
In the report, published on Friday, the UN referred to possible crimes against humanity committed by the Belarusian authorities against opponents of President Alexander Lukashenko.
The Belarusian ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Larysa Belskaya, denounced, during the debates at the Human Rights Council, a "
biased report
", while the Chinese and Russian representatives called on the United Nations to stop interfering in the internal affairs of Belarus.
But many countries, including the United States, have echoed the serious concerns of the UN.
On Friday, a court in Minsk sentenced to twelve years in prison two leaders of the independent information site Tut.by, which had covered in 2020 the vast protest movement aimed at denouncing the highly contested re-election of Alexander Lukashenko, in power since three decades.
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At the beginning of March, the opponent Svetlana Tikhanovskaïa had been sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison, while the activist Ales Bialiatski, co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 2022 and figure of the democratic movement in Belarus where he is still, had been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
"
As many as 1,459 people
" are currently being held in Belarus on what are believed to be "
politically motivated charges
", Nada Al-Nashif said.
Accusation of extremism
Last month, at least 2,146 people were convicted in the country on so-called extremism charges, including "
insulting the president
" and "
inciting social discord
", she added.
Westerners imposed heavy sanctions in Belarus for the crackdown on the 2020 protests, but Alexander Lukashenko's regime still enjoys Moscow's unwavering support.
In Geneva, member countries of the Governing Body of the International Labor Organization (ILO) voted overwhelmingly in favor of sanctions on Monday, proposing to exclude Belarus from ILO meetings and all activities. of technical cooperation.
The final decision will however be taken at the International Labor Conference which brings together all the members of the ILO in June.