Belarusian human rights organization Legal Initiative, with the support of Viasna Human Rights Center, the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, Respect-Protect-Fulfill, Human Constanta, and PEN Belarus, has sent an official appeal to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) demanding that an investigation be launched in accordance with Article 8 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention.
Human rights defenders have collected and presented extensive evidence that serious and systematic violations of women's rights, including torture, humiliation, and gender discrimination, have taken place in Belarusian prisons, penal colonies, and detention centers for many years. It is not a question of individual incidents, but a whole system where gender-based violence and abuse have become the norm, especially against female political prisoners.
These violations fall within the definition of discrimination as defined by articles 1, 2, 3, 5 (a), 7, and 12 of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, including as interpreted by the Committee in general recommendations No. 19, No. 24, No. 28, and No. 35. Their continuation, combined with the unwillingness of the State to implement the previous CEDAW recommendations, requires an immediate response within the framework of the investigation procedure.
Human rights defenders call on international and national non-governmental organizations, human rights experts, and politicians to publicly support this appeal, disseminate information about documented violations, and put pressure on the Belarusian authorities to stop torture, ill-treatment, and discrimination against women in places of detention.
You can sign this appeal by following the link:
Testimonies collected by human rights activists
Human rights defenders of the Legal Initiative have collected numerous testimonies from women who have passed through temporary detention centers, centers for isolation of offenders, pre-trial detention centers, and penal colonies. This includes two penal colonies where only women are held: penal colony No. 4 in Homeĺ and penal colony No. 24 in Zarečča.
Among the most serious violations are:
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Lack of proper hygiene conditions and accessible personal hygiene products. For example, only six sanitary pads are provided for three or ten days per month; sometimes they are not provided at all. Prisoners are allowed to take a shower only once a week or less. There are bedbugs, cockroaches, and lice in the cells.
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Humiliating personal searches and lack of privacy, including undressing in front of male prison officers, open toilets, and video surveillance.
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Sexist statements, jokes about sexual violence, and threats.
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Denial of medical care and medication, which leads to even more serious health problems, including those related to reproductive health.
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Public humiliation, including the use of a "cage of shame" in penal colony No. 4 (there is no such practice in penal colonies for men).
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There is particular pressure put on women political prisoners: overcrowded cells, constant artificial lighting, lack of mattresses, a ban on receiving parcels, threats, and psychological pressure.
Human rights activists confidently declare that this is a systemic problem
CEDAW has already found Belarus guilty of violations of imprisoned women's rights twice, in 2009 and 2020. However, the situation has only worsened in 15 years, especially after the events of 2020.
Mass arrests of women activists, human rights defenders, and journalists continue: as of August 15, 2025, there are 178 women political prisoners in Belarus. In 2024 alone, Belarusian courts handled more than 7,500 politically motivated cases, a quarter of them against women.
Violations have been recorded in all regional centers of Belarus, in various institutions, for many years. This suggests that torture and ill-treatment are an established practice, supported by government inaction and unwillingness to comply with UN recommendations.
Human rights activists' demands
Human rights activists urge CEDAW to launch an investigation and demand answers to key questions from the Belarusian authorities:
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What measures have actually been taken to curb torture, ill-treatment, and gender-based violence?
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How is women's right to privacy, medical care, and hygiene ensured?
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Why are women political prisoners held in particularly harsh conditions?
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How is the opportunity to safely report violence and receive help in places of detention guaranteed?
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Are violations being investigated and those responsible punished?
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What training programs for prison staff exist, and how effective are they?
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How does the State monitor the long-term effects of incarceration on women's health?
