Widescale political repression and the suppression of dissent persist in Belarus, but new opportunities for advancing accountability for international crimes committed since 2020 have emerged, most notably with the referral by the Lithuanian government of the situation in Belarus to the International Criminal Court (ICC), notes the IAPB in its latest progress report.

“The pressing need to combat impunity for serious international crimes in Belarus remains,” said Andrea Huber, IAPB’s Head. “Lithuania’s referral of the situation in Belarus to the ICC is an important first step towards holding some perpetrators accountable for some crimes. We hope other states will support these efforts by joining this referral or undertaking their own investigations into crimes not covered by it, so that justice is served for all crimes committed. The IAPB is ready to assist with evidence adhering to criminal justice standards that we have been collecting since 2021.”

Since 2020, the number of political prisoners has remained high, with 1,325 political prisoners in detention as of 29 September 2024, including Alex Bialiatski, the founder of Viasna, one of IAPB’s co-lead organisations. Political prisoners are reported to be subject to a punitive prison regime, held in isolation cells, deprived of access to medical care, and often held incommunicado – without access to family or lawyers. Authorities have also continued to use “anti-extremist laws” to stifle the work of human rights organisations.

Belarus’ lack of compliance with its international human rights obligations was exposed further during the reporting period, with the UN Committee against Torture finding that “torture is a systematic practice in Belarus”, and the European Parliament adopting a resolution in September expressing concern about some 300,000 individuals having been forced to leave the country since 2020 and the persecution they continue to face in exile.

Despite the stark human rights situation in Belarus, the report highlights steps taken by the IAPB to ensure that the serious international crimes committed by the Belarusian authorities are documented and that evidence is made available to investigating and prosecuting authorities, adhering to criminal justice standards.

In doing so, the IAPB has continued to grow its collection of information, evidence and analysis. From April to September 2024, it collected information from 105 survivors/witnesses, bringing the total number of interviews to 2,637 and the collection to 29,492 documents in its close-source collection.

During the reporting period, the IAPB received three further requests for assistance from state authorities for potential investigations into alleged international crimes committed in Belarus, bringing the number of requests up to eight requests from five States.

The IAPB, alongside other organisations, has encouraged other States Parties of the ICC to join the referral by the Lithuanian government of the situation in Belarus to the ICC and will provide evidence to the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC in its preliminary examination.

Given that the referral, if accepted, would only cover some of the crimes committed in Belarus (crimes against humanity, including deportation, persecution, and other inhumane acts), the IAPB has urged national prosecution authorities to continue investigating and prosecuting other international crimes committed in Belarus, such as torture, gender-based violence and unlawful detention.

The IAPB will also provide information to the UN Group of Independent Experts on the Human Rights Situation in Belarus (GIEB), a new investigative body established in April by the UN Human Rights Council.

About the IAPB:

The International Accountability Platform for Belarus (IAPB), created in March 2021, is a consortium of Belarusian and international NGOs that collects, consolidates, verifies, and preserves evidence of gross human rights violations allegedly committed by Belarusian authorities and others in the run-up to the 2020 presidential election and its aftermath.

The IAPB supports investigations of national prosecutors and international accountability bodies by providing access to the collected evidence and analytical products. Since its establishment, the IAPB has received eight requests for assistance from five different states, four requests for information from the UN Examination of the human rights situation in Belarus of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), one from the OSCE Moscow Mechanism Rapporteur, as well as several requests from civil society organisations and lawyers working towards the investigation of crimes committed in Belarus.

For more information, please contact: Andrea Huber, IAPB’s Head, on anhu@dignity.dk.

Download the progress report

Thirteen leading human rights organisations, including the International Accountability Platform for Belarus (IAPB), have published an open letter, calling on State Parties of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to support and join Lithuania’s referral to the ICC to investigate alleged crimes against humanity in Belarus.

The signatories are: DIGNITY – Danish Institute Against Torture, European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), Human Constanta, The Human Rights Center Viasna, International Accountability Platform for Belarus (IAPB), International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI), International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus, International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR), International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT), Norwegian Helsinki Committee, World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) and REDRESS.

“Lithuania’s referral of the situation in Belarus to the ICC is an important step towards ending impunity, and by joining it, other States would strengthen it, as we saw in the Ukraine and Venezuela situations,” said Andrea Huber, Head of the IAPB. “A group referral would indicate that other States are willing to provide the Court with relevant assistance that could be crucial to the current or any future investigation, and send a united message that the international community will not tolerate impunity for such crimes.”

While Belarus is not an ICC State Party, the ICC can exercise its jurisdiction where at least part of the conduct takes place in the territory of a State Party. The investigations initiated by the ICC into possible crimes against humanity against the Rohingya population in Myanmar’s Rakhine State in 2016 and 2017 established a precedent to this end.

According to information gathered by the IAPB, Belarusians fleeing the ongoing campaign of violence and repression in Belarus, have been dispersed to over 25 ICC State Parties, and these States could also join the referral. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) estimates that up to 300,000 individuals have been forced to flee Belarus due to a concerted campaign of violence and repression intentionally directed against those opposing the government or perceived as opposing it.

In its referral on 30 September 2024, the Lithuanian government requested the ICC to examine whether it had jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute alleged crimes against humanity committed by Belarusian senior officials since 1 May 2020, including deportation, persecution, and other inhumane acts. Under the Rome Statute, deportation or forcible transfer of population constitutes a crime against humanity when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population. As set out in Lithuanian’s referral, there are reasonable grounds to believe that the alleged crimes amount to crimes against humanity, and to a “widespread and systematic attack on the civilian population, pursuant to a state policy to eliminate opposition and dissent”.

The ICC Prosecutor will conduct a preliminary examination to assess Lithuania’s request to determine whether the alleged crimes fall within the ICC jurisdiction and if there is a reasonable basis to proceed with a full investigation.

“We encourage ICC State Parties to join the referral. It would demonstrate support for victims of human rights violations, and Belarusian human rights defenders who are currently imprisoned,” said Pavel Sapelko, representative from Viasna, IAPB’s co-lead organisation, whose founder, Nobel Prize winner Ales Bialiatski and other members remain in prison under politically motivated charges. “It would also support the efforts of civil society organisations and human rights defenders who are documenting these crimes in Belarus.”

The open letter also highlights the pressing need for continued efforts to combat impunity through national investigations and prosecutions under the principle of universal jurisdiction to ensure that justice is served for crimes not subject to the present Lithuanian’s referral.

“Evidence suggests that the Belarusian regime may have committed other international crimes, which are not part of the present referral, such as torture, sexual and gender-based violence, and enforced disappearance,” said Viktoria Fedorova, representative of the International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus, IAPB’s co-lead. “In addition to supporting Lithuania’s referral, we urge States to continue their national efforts in securing accountability in relation to these crimes.”

The IAPB will make available relevant evidence and information collected in support of the Prosecutor of the ICC’s preliminary investigation, and to States willing to pursue a referral.

For more information, contact Andrea Huber, IAPB’s Head, on anhu@dignity.dk.

About the IAPB:

The International Accountability Platform for Belarus (IAPB), created in March 2021, is a consortium of Belarusian and international NGOs that collects, consolidates, verifies, and preserves evidence of gross human rights violations allegedly committed by Belarusian authorities and others in the run-up to the 2020 presidential election and its aftermath.

The IAPB supports investigations of national prosecutors and international accountability bodies by providing access to the collected evidence and analytical products. Since its establishment, the IAPB has received eight requests for assistance from five different states, four requests for information from the UN Examination of the human rights situation in Belarus of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), one from the OSCE Moscow Mechanism Rapporteur, as well as several requests from civil society organisations and lawyers working towards the investigation of crimes committed in Belarus.

The International Accountability Platform for Belarus (IAPB) welcomes the referral of the situation in Belarus to the International Criminal Court (ICC) by the Government of Lithuania on 30 September 2024.

“The referral marks a significant first step towards investigating and prosecuting international crimes committed by the government of Belarus since May 2020”, says Andrea Huber, Head of the IAPB.  “But we must also acknowledge that this referral, if accepted, would cover only some of the crimes committed in Belarus.”

With its referral, the Lithuanian government requests the ICC to examine whether it has jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute crimes against humanity, including deportation, persecution, and other inhumane acts, committed by Belarusian senior officials since 1 May 2020.

According to Article 14 of the Rome Statute, as an ICC member state Lithuania can submit the referral because part of these crimes occurred on Lithuanian territory, bringing them within the Court’s jurisdiction. This builds on a previous ICC decision to accept jurisdiction over a non-ICC member state in the context of deportation (the Myanmar/Bangladesh situation).

According to the Lithuanian government in its statement of 30 September, “the [Belarusian] regime has forcibly displaced hundreds of thousands of lawful residents of Belarus to the territories of neighbouring Lithuania, and other States Parties (…), without grounds permitted under international law.”

“The IAPB has supported the efforts of criminal justice authorities to address the international crimes committed in Belarus. We hope that the ICC will assume jurisdiction and open an investigation, and we look forward to providing all available evidence to the ICC”, says Viktoria Fedorova, representative of the International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus, IAPB’s co-lead.

“Torture, gender-based violence, unlawful detention and other crimes must not go unpunished. Hence, we strongly encourage national prosecution authorities to continue investigating and prosecuting international crimes committed in Belarus”, says Andrea Huber.

Pavel Sapelko from Viasna, another IAPB co-lead, also stresses the need for additional steps.

”In order to enable accountability of crimes committed against Belarusians, Viasna and International Committee have interviewed over 2,500 victims and witnesses about events between 2020 and 2024”, Pavel Sapelko says and continues:

“These witness statements, alongside open-source information, has been collected to a criminal law standard and can be made available to prosecution authorities willing to help us counter the impunity of Belarusian perpetrators for grave human rights violations and international crimes.”

About the IAPB:

The International Accountability Platform for Belarus (IAPB), created in March 2021, is a consortium of Belarusian and international NGOs that collects, consolidates, verifies, and preserves evidence of gross human rights violations allegedly committed by Belarusian authorities and others in the run-up to the 2020 presidential election and its aftermath.

The IAPB supports investigations of national prosecutors and international accountability bodies by providing access to the collected evidence and analytical products.

Since its establishment, the IAPB has received eight requests for assistance from five different states, four requests for information from the UN Examination of the human rights situation in Belarus of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), one from the OSCE Moscow Mechanism Rapporteur, as well as several requests from civil society organisations and lawyers working towards the investigation of crimes committed in Belarus.

It is a distinguished international human rights expert with more than 20 years of experience from Amnesty International, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and Penal Reform International who will lead the International Accountability Platform for Belarus (IABP).

»We are very excited that Andrea Huber will head International Accountability Platform for Belarus and our ongoing efforts to secure justice for the victims of human rights violations in Belarus«, says Rasmus Grue Christensen, CEO at DIGNITY.

International Accountability Platform for Belarus was established in 2021 by DIGNITY, Belarusian Human Rights Center Viasna, International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus, and REDRESS. In addition, several other Belarusian and international organizations are involved in the platform’s work.

They work together to ensure that evidence of gross human rights violations is collected, verified, analyzed, and preserved so it can be used by national and international accountability bodies in proceedings against the perpetrators.

The new head of the platform comes from a position as Head of the Human Rights Department at OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and has worked with human rights since she obtained her Master’s Degree in Law from University of Vienna in 1997.

»I’m very honored to be joining the International Accountability Platform, which I believe sets a new standard for this field of work. It sets a precedent for documenting and analyzing evidence and making it accessible for both prosecution and preservation,« says Andrea Huber.

»The scale and systematic pattern of the human rights violations in Belarus is exceptional, and it is of utmost importance that the international community does not let these violations go unpunished. «

Andrea Huber will join International Accountability Platform for Belarus on the 15^th of August 2024, and she will be based in Vienna, Austria.

About

INTERNATIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY PLATFORM FOR BELARUS (IABP)
DIGNITY leads the work of the IAPB platform, which collects, verifies, and preserves evidence of possible international crimes committed by the Belarusian authorities and others in the run-up to and after the 2020 presidential elections. IAPB cooperates with, among others, the UN and national prosecutors investigating gross human rights violations in Belarus.

DIGNITY – DANISH INSTITUTE AGAINST TORTURE
DIGNITY is an international human rights and development organization that has been working for a world free from torture and violence since 1982. DIGNITY prevents torture and violence, treats traumatized victims, and helps document serious human rights violations so that those responsible can be brought to justice.

Today, the University of Graz in Austria is honoring the efforts to collect evidence of gross human rights violations in Belarus.  

On Friday, March 22, 2024, an international human rights prize will be awarded to the International Accountability Platform for Belarus (IAPB), which collects evidence of gross human rights violations in Belarus and promotes accountability for perpetrators.

“This is an important recognition and strong boost to our work in Belarus and especially to the courageous Belarusian human rights activists who fight for justice every day”, says Rasmus Grue Christensen, CEO of DIGNITY, which is the lead organization of the IABP.

He will be accepting the award in Graz on Friday together with Victoria Federova from the International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus, one of the IAPB’s co-lead organisations.

“We will continue to collect evidence of crimes under international law, to support accountability efforts from criminal justice authorities and international mechanisms. We hope that this award will once again shine a spotlight on the ongoing and escalating human rights violations in Belarus, from 2020 up to the present day. Together we hope for the expansion of the fight against impunity in national jurisdictions. We will not stop in our quest for justice.”

Pavel Sapelko, representative and lawyer from Viasna, IAPB’s co-lead organization, also welcomes the recognition.

“We rely on the courage of the victims of torture and the efforts of human rights defenders, who share their stories and expertise with us. This prize is for them.”

The International Accountability Platform for Belarus was established in 2021 by DIGNITY, Belarusian Human Rights Center Viasna, International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus, and REDRESS. In addition, several other Belarusian and international organizations are also involved in the platform’s work.

They work together to ensure that evidence of gross human rights violations constituting crimes under international law is collected, verified, analyzed, and preserved so it can be used by national and international accountability bodies in proceedings against the perpetrators.

The award recognizes the initiative’s “outstanding efforts in combating impunity for human rights violations”.

The platform’s work is supported by a wide range of states, including Denmark, Germany, the UK, and the US as well as the European Union.

The Austrian University of Graz is behind the international prize, which has been awarded approximately every five years since 1992. Previous recipients include the 14th Dalai Lama and Volker Türk, who is currently the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

INTERNATIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY PLATFORM FOR BELARUS (IABP)

DIGNITY leads the work of the IAPB platform, which collects, verifies, and preserves evidence of possible international crimes committed by the Belarusian authorities and others in the run-up to and after the 2020 presidential elections. IAPB cooperates with, among others, the UN and prosecutors investigating gross human rights violations in Belarus.

DIGNITY – DANISH INSTITUTE AGAINST TORTURE

DIGNITY is an international human rights and development organization that has been working for a world free from torture and violence since 1982. DIGNITY prevents torture and violence, treats traumatized victims, and helps document serious human rights violations so that those responsible can be brought to justice.

For further information, please contact press advisor, Marie Torp Christensen, by phone +45 27577349 or email matc@dignity.dk

The IAPB urged members of the OSCE Human Dimension Committee to adopt stronger domestic measures to hold alleged perpetrators of crimes under international law accountable as it met in Vienna today. Despite continued deterioration of the human rights situation in Belarus and its role in the Ukraine conflict, few investigations have been commenced and survivors’ opportunities for accessing justice continue to narrow.

The OSCE Human Dimension Committee met as the IAPB released its most recent progress report, detailing its most recent efforts to support criminal justice authorities and international human rights bodies.

“The increasing number of complaints by victims from multiple repressive or conflict contexts being filed in European States are not being met with sufficient resources to investigate and prosecute their claims,” said Kate Vigneswaran, Head of the IAPB. “Documenting alleged international crimes committed in Belarus is vital for ensuring future prosecutions, but that goal can only be realised if states dedicate resources to make it happen.”

During the April to September 2023 period, the IAPB made detailed submissions to criminal justice authorities in two additional States, bringing to three the number of European States which have received support from the IAPB for potential investigations into alleged international crimes committed in Belarus. The submissions contained factual and legal analysis of the underlying acts and contextual elements of crimes against humanity in Belarus, as well as the role of state security structures involved in their commission.

The IAPB also supported the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ Examination of the human rights situation in Belarus, and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Moscow Mechanism Rapporteur, Professor Hervé Ascensio, including by providing access to witnesses, cases in its collection and information on state security structures, sexual and gender-based crimes and accountability needs.

The IAPB’s support for the OSCE Moscow Mechanism rapporteur contributed to his findings that a range of human rights violations had been committed by State actors in Belarus and led to his call on the international community to do more to hold perpetrators accountable, and to continue to support survivors, civil society and others involved in pursuing accountability.

“According to our latest survey, survivors and other witnesses are located in more than 30 countries. The OSCE Moscow Mechanism rapporteur as well as the UN High Commissioner have recommended that states work towards accountability through national proceedings based on accepted principles of extraterritorial and universal jurisdiction,” said Victoria Federova, representative of IAPB co-lead, International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus. “We urge states to show political will, allocate additional resources to investigating authorities, initiate changes in legislation.”

These requests for assistance were met at a time when the human rights situation in Belarus continued to worsen. By today’s count, 1,475 political prisoners remained in prison. Political prisoners Mikalai Klimovich, a Belarusian blogger, and Ales Pushkin, a Belarusian artist, died in custody in unknown circumstances during the reporting period. Well-known opposition politicians, including Maria Kalesnikava, Mikola Statkevich, Siarhei Tsikhanouski and Viktar Babaryka, were held incommunicado for prolonged periods. The KGB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs recognised 148 entities as extremist formations, including IAPB co-lead organisation, the Human Rights Center “Viasna”.

“In the face of resistance from the Belarusian authorities, we continue to collect, process, and systematise evidence of alleged crimes against humanity. This is happening amid widespread repression against survivors and pressure on us as human rights defenders,” said Pavel Sapelko, Viasna representative on the IAPB Steering Committee. “Our collective efforts to overcome impunity should bear fruit if democratic states demonstrate the political will to investigate and prosecute perpetrators. The range of alleged crimes committed by the regime is widening and this needs an adequate response.”

The IAPB has secured funding to continue its work for another three-year period, from October 2023 until September 2026, during which it will use its established infrastructure and expertise to pursue a proactive approach to pursuing accountability and bolster its survivor-centred approach.

About the IAPB

The IAPB is an innovative civil society platform that collects, preserves and analyses information and evidence of serious human rights violations constituting crimes under international law allegedly committed in Belarus in the context of the August 2020 presidential election and its aftermath, with the aim of supporting accountability bodies and ensuring Belarusians and other survivors have access to remedies and reparations. Since April 2021, the IAPB has collected information and evidence of torture, rape and other acts of sexual and gender-based violence, arbitrary arrest and detention, extrajudicial killings and other inhumane acts committed by state actors in Belarus, which may constitute crimes against humanity. The IAPB collects information and evidence from victims and witnesses both inside and outside Belarus, providing them with access to information and to referral pathways for mental health and psychosocial support irrespective of their location.

The IAPB is led by DIGNITY (Danish Institute Against Torture), the Human Rights Centre “Viasna”, the International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus and REDRESS.

The IAPB’s mandate is supported by the European Union and states including Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the USA. Recognising the importance of the IAPB’s work, the IAPB’s mandate, which started on 24 March 2021, was extended in 2022 until September 2023, and has more recently been extended for a third phase until September 2026.

In recognition of its contribution to the promotion of human rights in Belarus, Viasna was awarded the Clooney Foundation for Justice Albie Award in September 2022 and its founder, Ales Bialiatski, the Nobel Peace Prize in October 2022. In January 2023, the International Committee was awarded the “Human Rights Campaign/Initiative of the Year 2022” award.