The joint report by “RADA” and the YFJ to the UN Human Rights Council reveals widespread violations of the rights of Belarusian youth
The Belarusian National Youth Council “RADA” and the European Youth Forum have jointly submitted a report to the UN Human Rights Council for Belarus’ 4th Universal Periodic Review, spotlighting grave and systemic human rights abuses with a strong focus on youth. This joint submission was prepared with major involvement of member organizations of the BNYC “RADA”: Belarusian Students’ Association, Ecohome, Youth Bloc, Maladaja Hramada; and the European Youth Forum.
Maksim Zafranski, Youth Rights Advisor at the Belarusian National Youth Council “RADA”, highlights the key points of the report:
- Repression in Education and Political Participation
Belarusian universities have become tools of political control, where students face expulsion, surveillance by KGB officers, and arrests for peaceful protest. Independent student unions are suppressed, while pro-government groups are favored. Political expression is criminalized, opposition groups banned, and student activists silenced through intimidation and legal punishment.
- Equality Denied
LGBTQ+ people face criminalization, torture, and restricted access to healthcare, while women suffer from unaddressed domestic violence, workplace discrimination, and exclusion from power. Gender-based restrictions persist, and students with disabilities face systemic barriers.
- Crackdown on Civil Society and Free Expression
Over 200 NGOs, including youth groups and “RADA”, were labeled “extremist” or “terrorist.” Independent media, cultural outlets, and even museum guides have been silenced. More than 6,800 people have faced politically motivated trials, including students, often in unfair or closed proceedings.
- Torture and Arbitrary Arrests
Torture is widespread, especially for young detainees. Reports include beatings, forced confessions, psychological abuse, and deaths in custody. Speaking Belarusian in detention can result in mockery or abuse.
- Economic Persecution and Forced Labor
Political loyalty is now a job requirement, while protest participants have been blacklisted or fired. Students on state scholarships are forced into assigned jobs for years, and businesses showing solidarity with protests were shut down.
- Environmental and Cultural Destruction
Environmental activists are harassed, NGOs dissolved, and access to green information restricted. Belarus withdrew from international environmental treaties. At the same time, Belarusian language rights and cultural heritage are under attack, with books burned in prisons and monuments tied to national or minority identities destroyed or neglected.
This report exposes how Belarus systematically violates youth rights across all sectors — from education and free expression to justice and cultural identity — calling for urgent international attention and accountability.
The full text of the report
