EU Annual Reports on Human Rights and Democracy
- BYACTION
- Nov 7
- 7 min read
Updated: Nov 7
2024 Human Rights and Democracy in the World
Republic of Belarus
1. Overview of the human rights and democracy situation: In 2024, the human rights situation in Belarus has further deteriorated. Reports indicate that at least 1721 people were sentenced to prison in politically motivated cases, out of which 1019 people were convicted for having participated in protests. At the end of December 2024, Belarus had still more than 1200 political prisoners arbitrarily detained. Political prisoners continued to be exposed to particularly harsh conditions, including torture and other forms of ill-treatment. Some political prisoners are subjected to arbitrary punishment, including solitary confinement and prolonged incommunicado detentions. Four political prisoners died while in detention in 2024. Around 250 people were released on pardon. The institutionalisation and legalization of repressive measures continued to expand. In the run-up to the presidential elections (26 January 2025), the authorities engaged in a state-led widespread and systematic repressive campaign, aimed at preventing and repressing any civic space and any actual or perceived dissent in the country. The control of the information space by the authorities was consolidated. The security sector was reinforced as part of the institutionalisation of repressive practices. The arbitrary use of force against civilians was further increased. In 2024, pressure on Belarusians forced to leave the country increased. Among the practices used by the authorities are trials in absentia, seizure of property, threats, pressure on relatives, and persecution for participating in protests abroad. Belarus remains the only country in Europe that retains the death penalty. 2. EU action - key focus areas: The EU continued its support to the victims of repression, civil society organisations and independent media. The EU also continued to support actions with a view to holding perpetrators of human rights violations accountable for their crimes. The EU Delegation in Minsk, in cooperation with Member States embassies and like-minded partners, engaged in several initiatives in support of political prisoners and their families. This included public awareness-raising campaigns as well as targeted official démarches with the Belarusian authorities. The EU and like-minded countries continued to observe politically motivated trials, despite very challenging circumstances. The EU also continued to support the International Accountability Platform for Belarus. 3. EU bilateral political engagement: In 2024, Belarus was high on the EU’s agenda. The EEAS and the European Commission, in cooperation with the European Parliament, organised and hosted ‘Belarus Days’ on 9-13 December 2024, a series of events devoted to democratic Belarus and the Belarusian people. The initiative demonstrated the EU’s solidarity and continued commitment to the Belarusian people. The continuing repression and the deteriorating human rights situation in Belarus were addressed by the Foreign Affairs Council, the European Council, and raised in numerous contacts, including with third countries. In 2024, two rounds of sanctions over continued human rights violations were adopted, in August (28 individuals) and in December (26 individuals and 2 entities). On 29 June 2024, in view of the regime’s involvement in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the EU adopted new sectoral sanctions against Belarus targeting the trade, services and transport sectors. The sanctions aim to mirror several of the restrictive measures already in place against Russia to prevent sanctions circumventions. The EU held two meetings of the Consultative Group with Belarusian democratic forces and civil society in June and December 2024. The HRVP and Commissioner Kos addressed the situation in the EP plenary on several occasions and held bilateral meetings with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. 4. EU financial engagement: In line with the Council Conclusions on Belarus of 12 October 2020, the EU has redirected assistance from the Belarusian public authorities to non-state actors. The EU’s commitment to supporting the people of Belarus was further enshrined in the Council Conclusions of February 2024. So far, EUR 170 million has been mobilised for civil society, human rights defenders, independent media, educational and cultural institutions, 43 and small and medium sized businesses in exile. The third annual Senior Officials’ Meeting took place in April 2024, providing a forum for representatives of EU institutions, Member States and Belarusian civil society and democratic forces to assess the needs and coordinate assistance to the people of Belarus across the supported sectors, including in the human rights domain. 5. Multilateral context: The EU continued to raise the human rights violations in Belarus in international fora and support initiatives to promote accountability, including by leading efforts in the UN Human rights Council to address the human rights situation in Belarus. The EU presented a resolution in March 2024 renewing the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Belarus and creating the mandate of the Group of Independent Experts, building on the work and recommendations by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human rights. The EU made several statements in the Council of Europe, the OSCE framework, and the UN General Assembly, condemning the ongoing human rights violations in Belarus.
2024 Human Rights and Democracy in the World (country reports)
2023 Human Rights and Democracy in the World (country reports)
Republic of Belarus
1. Overview of the human rights and democracy situation: In 2023, the human rights situation in Belarus further deteriorated. By the end of 2023, there were at least 1452 political prisoners in detention, including representatives of civil society and political opposition, human rights defenders, journalists, media workers, lawyers. Amongst these, there are persons with serious illnesses, disabilities and elderly. The authorities subjected political prisoners to incommunicado detention, torture and other forms of ill-treatment. In 2023, the authorities also subjected family members of political prisoners to arbitrary searches, detentions, interrogations, and other forms of harassment. At least two political prisoners died while serving their sentences. As of the end of December 2023, no less than 960 NGOs were in the process of forced liquidation. This adds to the at least 550 organisations that selfliquidated. In view of the parliamentary and local elections of 25 February 2024, the regime tightened the repression. Belarusian authorities continued detaining and prosecuting people in connection with peaceful protests in 2020, including some who returned to Belarus from abroad. The institutionalisation and legalisation of repressive measures significantly expanded, including through the increased use of terrorism and extremism related offences to intimidate, repress and prosecute individuals exercising their fundamental freedoms. In 2023, the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), and some of its individual staff members, as well as HRC Viasna, a prominent human rights organisation, were designated as “extremist formations.” Founders and members of independent organisations deemed “extremist” were compelled to 42 exile due to the high risk of arbitrary detention and other human rights violations. Most of them continue their activities from abroad. Belarus remains the only country in Europe to carry out the death penalty. In March, Lukashenka signed a law that expanded the application of the death penalty to “high treason” by civil servants and members of the military, further broadening the scope of this cruel and inhumane punishment for acts that do not qualify as intentional killing, which is against international law. The first death sentence in Belarus, since May 2021, was pronounced in October of 2023. 2. EU action - key focus areas: The EU continued its support to the victims of repression, civil society organisations and independent media. The EU also continued to support actions with a view to holding perpetrators of human rights violations accountable. The EU Delegation in Minsk, in cooperation with Member States embassies and like-minded partners, engaged in several initiatives in support of political prisoners. This included public awareness-raising campaigns as well as targeted official demarches with the Belarusian authorities. The EU and like-minded countries continued to observe politically motivated trials, despite very challenging circumstances. The EU also continued to support the International Accountability Platform for Belarus. 3. EU bilateral political engagement: In 2023, Belarus continued to be high on the EU’s agenda. The continuing repression and the deteriorating human rights situation was addressed at all levels, including by the Foreign Affairs Council and the European Council, and raised in numerous contacts, including with third countries. In August 2023, the seventh package of sanctions was imposed on an additional 38 individuals and 3 entities in Belarus, over continued human rights abuses. Further targeted measures were introduced in response to Belarus’s involvement in Russia's military aggression against Ukraine, extending export bans to firearms, aviation and space industry. In line with the Council conclusions of 12 October 2020, the EU scaled down its bilateral cooperation with Belarusian public authorities and increased EU’s support to the Belarusian people, democratic forces and civil society. The EU launched a Consultative Group with Belarusian democratic forces and civil society in June 2023. The Consultative group also met in December. The HR/VP addressed the situation in the EP plenary on several occasions. The EU Special Representative for Human Rights also addressed the dire human rights situation in Belarus focusing on attempts to improve the situation of political prisoners and ensure their release. 4. EU financial engagement: In line with the Council conclusions on Belarus of 12 October 2020, the EU has redirected assistance from the public authorities to non-state actors. The total support to the people of Belarus, coming from different European Commission sources of funding since August 2020, amounts to almost EUR 140 million. The last bilateral support package adopted in November 2023 consists of EUR 30 million and has three main strands: support to independent media, arts and culture as well as small and medium enterprises. The second annual Senior Officials’ Meeting took place in May 2023, providing a forum for representatives of EU institutions, Member States and Belarusian civil society and democratic forces to assess the needs and coordinate assistance to the people of Belarus, including in the human rights domain. 5. Multilateral context: The EU continued to raise the human rights violations in Belarus in international fora and support initiatives to promote accountability. As in previous years, the 43 EU led on two initiatives on the human rights situation in Belarus, making it a standing item on the UN Human Rights Council’s agenda. The mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Belarus and of the investigative mechanism under the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights were renewed in 2023. The EU made several statements in the Council of Europe, the OSCE framework, and the UN General Assembly, condemning the ongoing human right violations in Belarus.
