In a statement delivered at the 63rd Human Rights Council in Geneva and published on 21 September 2026, the UK said it remains deeply concerned by what it described as the systematic repression of fundamental freedoms in Belarus. It cited arbitrary arrest and detention, politically motivated prosecutions, torture and ill-treatment, and said independent media, civil society and trade unions face severe restrictions.

The UK welcomed the recent release of political prisoners but said those releases do not address the structures enabling repression, and that many others remain unjustly detained. It called for their immediate and unconditional release, rehabilitation and access to effective remedy, and voiced particular concern about incommunicado detention, denial of adequate medical care and intimidation of prisoners' families.

The statement said the UK continues to support UN accountability mandates and the International Accountability Platform for Belarus, which collects and preserves evidence of alleged crimes under international law. The UK asked the Group of Independent Experts how states can strengthen accountability pathways while keeping victims, survivors and Belarusian civil society central to those efforts.