The International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus and the Human Rights Center «Viasna» studied the testimonies of nearly 600 Belarusians who endured torture and/or ill-treatment by security forces following the events of 2020.
How do Belarusians cope with the aftermath of such experiences? How important is the acknowledgment of unlawful persecution? What are the necessary steps to restore justice? This comprehensive study provides answers to these critical questions.
The scope of the issues addressed by the authors holds significant importance not only for Belarusians but also for the international community. On November 15, the presentation of the report brought together Belarusian human rights defenders, journalists, researchers, concerned citizens, and international experts.
Psychologists assert that full recovery for those affected by repression is impossible without recognizing the illegality of the persecution. For this reason, one section of the study is devoted to the psychological aspects of justice restoration.
Researchers also found that many survivors deem achieving justice in the near future unlikely. Some respondents even perceive violence and torture as the «norm of the present day» and are unaware of the mechanisms available to protect their rights. Consequently, the study authors considered it necessary to describe existing legal tools for achieving justice both at the national and international levels.
The most valuable part of the report is an analysis of the survivors’ perspectives on how justice should be restored. Victoria Fyodorova, a representative of the International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus, addressed this and other topics during the presentation:
«Societal silence is often experienced by survivors as a conspiracy of silence, or even complicity in state violence. For many, this represents a double denial of their humanity – by both the state and society. Denial of justice and the resulting impunity negatively affect the health and quality of life of the survivors, their families, and even societal cohesion and the effective functioning of the entire community for generations. This is why it is so important to conduct such studies and do everything possible to hold perpetrators accountable and achieve justice. Crimes against humanity—that is how the acts of torture and politically motivated cruelty should be classified».
Hennadiy Korshunov, a representative of the Center for New Ideas and head of the research team, also spoke about justice:
«The main obstacle to restoring justice is the lack of opportunities to do so. Justice is seen as a collective task tied to regime change and the return home. The question of justice itself remains highly relevant. A large majority of respondents in the study believe that their drive for justice has not diminished; 29% even say it has increased».
According to documenters who worked directly with survivors during the research, almost everyone interviewed took steps, in one way or another, to seek justice.
«The results so far are not as we had hoped. However, for many, it was essential to take action, to be recognized as victims of the regime, and to restore their good name. While many have come to terms with the long path to justice and the limitations of existing mechanisms, Belarusians are patient. Even if progress is slow, we will see it through to the end. That is why the documentation of repression is given great importance», – shared one of the documenters.
In addition to the topic of justice, the presentation addressed another crucial issue for Belarusians – Lithuania’s appeal to the International Criminal Court to investigate crimes against humanity. A separate session of the meeting was dedicated to this topic, where participants could share their views.
Contributing to this discussion were Ricard Dikavich from Lithuania’s Ministry of Justice, Andrea Huber from the International Accountability Platform for Belarus (IAPB), Aung Kyaw Moe from Myanmar’s Ministry of Human Rights, and international criminal law expert Michael Hertz.
The prospects for justice for individuals who survived torture and ill-treatment generated particular interest among attendees.
The report is available for download in Belarusian, Russian, and English [HERE].
