UN Experts Demand Probes Into Deaths of Political Detainees in Belarus Prisons

A group of United Nations independent experts has urgently called for credible, transparent, and independent investigations into the suspicious deaths of several political detainees in Belarusian custody. These individuals, identified by human rights defenders as political prisoners, died while serving sentences or shortly after release, under circumstances that suggest possible grave violations of their fundamental rights.

The experts emphasized that these incidents, which occurred over the past four years, appear to be part of a broader pattern of abuse, neglect, and retaliation against individuals imprisoned for exercising their basic civil liberties — particularly their rights to free expression and peaceful protest.

Pattern of Deaths Under Suspicious Circumstances

In their statement, the experts pointed to the most recent case involving Valiantsin Shtermer, a 61-year-old businessman and political detainee who died in Correctional Colony No. 17 in Šklou in late May 2025. Shtermer had been convicted for expressing criticism of Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine. According to multiple reports, he suffered from a serious medical condition but was denied adequate medical treatment and was allegedly mistreated by prison authorities.

His death echoes the 2021 case of Vitold Ashurak, a 50-year-old opposition activist and member of the Belarusian National Front, who also died in Correctional Colony No. 17 under suspicious conditions. Ashurak had been sentenced for participating in protests and was reportedly placed in a punishment isolation cell (SHIZO) shortly before his death. At the time, his family and independent monitors raised alarms over visible signs of head trauma and poor prison conditions.

The experts also revisited the 2023 death of renowned Belarusian artist Alés Puškin, who was serving a sentence in Prison No. 1 in Hrodna. Puškin reportedly died after being denied urgent medical treatment. A formal request for an investigation into his death was submitted by the UN experts to Belarusian authorities in 2023 — but to date, no response has been received.

International Legal Obligations and Presumption of State Responsibility

“Where an individual dies in custody, the presumption of their arbitrary deprivation of life can only be rebutted on the basis of a proper investigation,” the experts asserted. They underscored that under international human rights law, states are responsible for the well-being of those in their custody and must provide adequate healthcare, protect against ill-treatment, and promptly investigate any custodial deaths.

The experts further warned that the Belarusian government’s failure to act transparently fuels suspicions that these deaths were not isolated incidents but rather part of systemic state retaliation against political dissenters. “There are strong reasons to believe that these individuals lost their lives in retaliation for exercising their civil and political rights, including the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly,” the UN experts said.

Stigmatization of Political Prisoners as “Extremists” or “Terrorists”

Adding to their concerns, the UN group condemned Belarus’s practice of labeling political opponents as "extremists" or "terrorists"—a tactic they say is being used to justify harsh sentences and mistreatment. The experts have long urged Belarus to align its counter-terrorism and anti-extremism legal frameworks with international human rights standards, but these calls have gone largely unheeded.

In particular, Belarusian authorities have been accused of abusing these laws to imprison peaceful protesters, opposition activists, journalists, and cultural figures in the wake of the 2020 presidential election, which was widely denounced as fraudulent by international observers and sparked mass protests across the country.

Call for Accountability and Independent Oversight

On June 16, 2025, the UN experts sent an official letter to the Belarusian government demanding full investigations into the deaths of Shtermer and Ashurak and reiterating earlier requests concerning Puškin. Their appeal stressed the need for independent forensic reviews, public transparency, and accountability for any officials found to have contributed to the deaths through neglect, abuse, or deliberate action.

To date, Belarusian authorities have not responded to any of the experts’ communications regarding these custodial deaths.

A Broader Crisis of Rights in Belarus

The UN experts’ intervention reflects growing international concern over the state of human rights in Belarus, which has witnessed a sharp decline in civic freedoms, judicial independence, and media pluralism since the disputed 2020 election. Thousands have been arbitrarily detained, and reports of torture, forced confessions, and political repression have become increasingly common.

Despite mounting international condemnation, President Alexander Lukashenko’s administration has shown little willingness to engage with human rights mechanisms or allow independent scrutiny of its prison system.

UN Experts Urge Immediate Global Attention

The group of experts urged the UN Human Rights Council, member states, and international organizations to place increased pressure on Belarus to comply with its obligations under international law.

“The deaths of individuals in custody must never be accepted as collateral damage,” they said. “Every human life matters, and accountability for these deaths is not optional—it is essential for justice, rule of law, and the restoration of basic human dignity.”

The experts concluded with a firm demand: immediate, transparent, and impartial investigations into the deaths of all individuals detained for political dissent in Belarus, and justice for the families and communities they leave behind.

The group of experts includes members of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Special Rapporteurs on torture, extrajudicial executions, and freedom of expression, among others. They operate under mandates from the UN Human Rights Council and report to the UN General Assembly.