The human rights situation in Belarus: Joint Statement to the OSCE, September 2026
The UK and 37 other OSCE countries urge Belarus to release all political prisoners and end repression of civil society, media, and opposition voices amid ongoing human rights violations.
The UK and 37 other OSCE countries, alongside eight additional participating states, jointly called for the immediate release of all political prisoners in Belarus and an end to repression targeting civil society, independent media, and opposition voices. The statement, delivered on behalf of the Informal Group of Friends of Democratic Belarus, highlighted concerns raised six years after the 2020 presidential election, where peaceful protests were met with a brutal crackdown by the Lukashenko regime.
The statement reiterated concerns over systematic repression of fundamental freedoms, including arbitrary detention and politically motivated prosecutions, as confirmed by the latest UN Special Rapporteur report. It noted the misuse of 'anti-extremism' and counter-terrorism legislation to criminalize legitimate exercise of freedoms, while human rights defenders, journalists, and opposition figures face persecution. Transnational repression has also targeted Belarusians in exile and their families.
According to the Human Rights Center Viasna, at least 10,016 people have faced criminal prosecution for political reasons since 2020, with an increase of approximately 1,500 cases since the previous year. More than 100,000 cases of repression have been recorded, and there are currently 886 political prisoners. The statement emphasized Belarus’s failure to uphold international human rights obligations and OSCE commitments, including those related to free and fair elections.
The statement expressed deep concern over continued politically motivated arrests and prosecutions, despite the release of several hundred political prisoners. It highlighted reports of torture and cruel treatment in detention, including prolonged isolation and inadequate medical care. The cycle of imprisonment and persecution must end, with calls for the immediate and unconditional release and rehabilitation of all political prisoners and accountability for those responsible.