That is 0 articles you have read today.
The Aporia is free and carries no advertising, so readers are the only
thing paying for it. If you are getting this much out of it, a small
donation is what keeps it independent.
Daily limit reached
You have read 0 articles today.
That is more than the 15 a day The Aporia gives away,
and well past what it can carry on nothing. Your allowance resets at
midnight.
There is no advertising here and nothing about you is sold, so readers
are the only thing paying for it. If the site is worth this much of
your day, it is worth a few dollars.
Everything else stays open: the
maps, the
directory and
search do
not count against this, and neither does re-opening something you have
already read today.
UN experts report that Belarusian state institutions have coordinated since 2020 to suppress critics of President Alexander Lukashenko's government through arrests, imprisonment, surveillance, and other legal actions. The report, set for presentation at the UN Human Rights Council on September 15, highlights systematic violations of international human rights standards throughout various stages of the justice system, including arbitrary arrests, torture, denial of legal safeguards, and closed trials.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-15,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
verbatim and was checked against the article text before being
stored, so you can find it in the original.
-
Belarusian state institutions have worked together to repress critics of President Alexander Lukashenko’s government through every stage of the justice system since 2020, including arrests, imprisonment and surveillance
left describes repression as a coordinated effort by state institutions
-
The experts said requests to visit the country and engage with the authorities went unanswered.
left criticizes Belarus for not cooperating with UN experts on human rights
-
The judiciary had played a critical role in sustaining the system by legitimising abuses and denying victims effective remedies.
left criticizes the judicial system for supporting repression
Leaning score -0.65 for article 10163 (high confidence, 3 verified quotes) · logged 2026-09-15
Belarus using justice system to silence Lukashenko critics, say UN experts
asserted
experts → use → critics
Belarusian state institutions have worked together to repress critics of President Alexander Lukashenko’s government through every stage of the justice system since 2020, including arrests, imprisonment and surveillance, UN experts said on Sept 15.
asserted
experts → work → Sept
In a report to be presented to the UN Human Rights Council, the independent experts said courts, police, security services, prosecutors and the prison authorities had all acted in a coordinated manner to silence real or perceived opponents.
asserted
courts → present → opponents
The Belarus mission to the Geneva-based Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment early on Sept 15.
asserted
mission → base → Sept
Belarus has previously rejected UN criticism of its human rights record and has not cooperated with the experts, according to the report.
uncertain
Belarus → reject → report
The experts said requests to visit the country and engage with the authorities went unanswered.
asserted
requests → say → authorities
The experts on the rights situation in Belarus said they found “systematic” violations of international human rights obligations from the moment of arrest through detention, conviction and supervision after release.
asserted
they → say → release
They cited arbitrary arrests, torture, denial of legal safeguards, closed trials and continued harassment of former detainees.
asserted
They → cite → detainees
“The patterns of violations described in this paper continue to the present day,” the report said, adding that the judiciary had played a critical role in sustaining the system by legitimising abuses and denying victims effective remedies.
asserted
judiciary → describe → remedies
The experts said Belarus was responsible for violations of multiple international treaties and reiterated earlier findings that some abuses committed since May 2020 could amount to the crimes against humanity of persecution and imprisonment.
uncertain
abuses → say → persecution
The report was prepared by the UN’s Group of Independent Experts on the Human Rights Situation in Belarus, a three-member panel.
asserted
report → prepare → Belarus
They serve in their personal capacities rather than as representatives of governments or the UN Secretariat.
asserted
They → serve → governments
The findings come six years after mass protests erupted following the August 2020 presidential election, which the opposition and Western governments said was rigged.
asserted
opposition → come → election
Thousands of people were detained in the crackdown that followed and rights groups continue to document political prisoners in Belarus.
asserted
groups → detain → Belarus
Lukashenko denies holding political prisoners, describing the people concerned as “bandits”, has denied electoral fraud and said authorities acted lawfully to restore order.
asserted
authorities → deny → order
Earlier in September, former political prisoner and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski told Reuters that, despite recent prisoner releases secured through US engagement with Minsk, “the machinery of repression keeps running” and new political prisoners continue to emerge.
asserted
prisoners → tell → repression
The Aporia
