The European Union, in a statement delivered on 29 June 2026 at the 62nd session of the UN Human Rights Council, strongly condemned ongoing gross, systematic and widespread human rights violations in Belarus. The statement was made during an interactive dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus.
The EU highlighted politically motivated repression, a completely closed civic space due to a severe crackdown on freedoms of expression, assembly and association, severe ill-treatment in detention including coercive psychiatric treatment, transnational repression, and misuse of anti-terrorism and anti-extremism legislation. The EU also raised concern about appalling detention conditions, including incommunicado detention, restrictions on contacts with families and lawyers, disciplinary sanctions and physical punishments after suicide attempts or denial of essential medical care.
Noting the recent release of some political prisoners, the EU expressed concern about new arrests and re-arrests and restrictions on the rights and freedoms of those released. The EU urged the immediate and unconditional release and effective rehabilitation of all political prisoners. It also called on Belarusian authorities to stop their involvement in Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, halt their instrumentalization of migrants, and immediately ensure the safe return to Ukraine of all unlawfully deported Ukrainian children.
The report further highlighted violations of cultural rights through targeted repression and coercive restructuring of cultural space, education, language use, and historical narratives, where manifestations of cultural and national identity are increasingly treated as markers of political opposition to the Lukashenko regime. The EU remained concerned about intimidation campaigns against all segments of Belarusian society and the intensifying practice of designating cultural figures, educational actors, journalists, human rights defenders and organizations as extremist formations.
The EU asked the Special Rapporteur how the international community could further contribute to documenting these violations and holding authorities accountable.