The regime has failed to implement more than 220 recommendations regarding human rights issues in Belarus

The situation of mass repressions in Belarus, the growing number of political prisoners, the torture of political detainees in Belarusian prisons, and the persecution of civil society in Belarus were discussed during meetings of Pavel Latushka, Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet and Head of the National Anti-Crisis Management (NAM), with representatives of the Permanent Missions of EU member states working at the UN Office in Geneva.

Pavel Latushka held meetings with Darius Staniulis, Permanent Representative of Lithuania; Ivars Pundurs, Permanent Representative of Latvia; Katia Solsbek, Deputy Permanent Representative of Sweden; Claire Tude, Deputy Permanent Representative of France; as well as with representatives of other EU Permanent Missions to the UN Office in Geneva.

During the meetings, particular attention was paid to the issue of international mechanisms that could be employed to hold Lukashenka accountable for crimes against the Belarusian people.

Pavel Latushka presented information on the steps already taken by the National Anti-Crisis Management in this regard. He also shared with partners his expectations concerning their possible support for international mechanisms aimed at achieving justice for Belarusians — the victims of repression.

Separately, Latushka addressed Lukashenka’s so-called idea of a "big deal" with the U.S. and the EU. The Deputy Head of the Cabinet noted that Lukashenka is seeking recognition and the lifting of sanctions.

Pavel Latushka informed the participants of the general position of the United Transitional Cabinet, which is that no deals with the Lukashenka regime are possible. Lukashenka must change his domestic repressive and foreign aggressive policies. He must make a conditional deal with the Belarusian people, which means stopping arrests, detentions, and convictions of Belarusians on politically motivated charges; decriminalizing public and political life; ceasing extraterritorial persecution of Belarusians; and so on.

The representative of Lithuania emphasized that Lithuania will continue to promote the issue of Lukashenka’s accountability and that of his accomplices before the International Criminal Court (ICC). In this regard, on 30 September 2024, the Lithuanian government submitted documents to the ICC Prosecutor’s Office to initiate an investigation into transnational crimes against humanity, and it continues to support the need to launch such an investigation. The NAM, for its part, cooperates with the relevant Lithuanian institutions to advance the issue of Lukashenka’s accountability.

The representative of France stressed that her country will not back down and will continue its policy of sanction pressure on the Lukashenka regime in connection with ongoing repressions, support for aggression against Ukraine, and the hybrid war against the European Union. France’s position remains consistent and firm.

With the representatives of Latvia and Sweden, issues of possible accession of these countries to Lithuania’s referral to the ICC were discussed in order to ensure accountability.

Pavel Latushka’s meetings in Geneva took place on the eve of the session of the UN Human Rights Council’s Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), which will be held on Monday, November 3. The session will examine the human rights situation in Belarus.

This is already the fourth UPR review for Belarus under this mechanism. The last session of the Working Group on Belarus took place in 2020. The upcoming meeting will focus on the fact that the Lukashenka regime has not stopped repressions over the past five years, and that Belarus is experiencing a total degradation of its human rights system.

According to a report prepared by a coalition of Belarusian human rights organizations, out of 266 recommendations made to Belarus after the third UPR cycle, the regime has fully implemented only two, while 226 remain unfulfilled.

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