Oral statement given at Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus: UN Human Rights Council, 59th Session

Today at the UN in Geneva, the Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus took place as part of the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council. On this occasion, Connection e.V. and War Resisters’ International delivered a statement in the plenary, addressing the right to conscientious objection to military service and the increasing militarisation of the educational system in Belarus.

Mr. Nils Muižnieks presented his report showing "no indication of an overall improvement in the state of civil and political rights in the country". The full report of the Special Rapporteur is available at https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/59/59

 Statement by WRI and Connection e.V. as pdf-file

Mr. President,

War Resisters International (WRI), together with its partner Connection e.V., thanks the Special Rapporteur for his report¹. It is very concerning that there is “no indication of an overall improvement in the state of civil and political rights in the country”.

Repressive laws and policies continue to target grass-roots civil society organizations² and human rights defenders like Our House and Olga Karatch [who assists conscientious objectors to military service and] who has already received a first sentence.

We would like to address the attention to the lack of full implementation of the right to conscientious objection to military service. The alternative service continues to be punitive and the authorities, [including military enlistment offices,] use stigma and public censorship against conscientious objectors.

Websites and Telegram channels assisting conscientious objectors are declared extremist and extremism is punishable by up to 7 years in prison.³

It is also concerning the increasing militarization of the society including the educational system leading to underage exposure to militaristic trainings. Mr. Special Rapporteur what particular measures would you envision to reverse this alarming trend of violation of children rights and what particular advocacy actions could Member States undertake?

WRI and Connection e.V. call on this Council to ensure the protection of those whose life is threatened in the country of origin; urge Belarus to respect the human right to conscientious objection to military service and the General Assembly resolution on death penalty⁴.

We call on individual Member states to grant asylum to Belarusian conscientious objectors [who seek protection abroad], in line with UNHCR Guidelines on International Protection,⁵ and ensure dignified living conditions for Belarusian asylum seekers.

Thank you.

1 A/HRC/59/59

2 A/HRC/56/65, par. 6.

3 https://sputnik.by/20240709/prokuratura-priznala-ryad-onlayn-servisov-dlya-uklonistov-ekstremistskimi-1087907223.html

4 https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N22/764/50/PDF/N2276450.pdf?OpenElement

5 UNHCR, Guidelines on International Protection No.10: Claims to refugee status related to military service within the context of Article 1A(2) of the 1951 Convention and/or 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees