Originally published on the CGS blog on November 25, 2015.
It seems that every time I look at my phone, there is a news alert telling me about a new catastrophe somewhere around the globe. In the midst of the Paris terror attacks and the latest confrontation between Turkey and Russia, it is easy to assume that human rights abuses today are centered around violent conflict, often on an international scale. While these crises are worth our attention and concern, it is important to remember that there are still domestic issues being overlooked.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported earlier this year on the status of human rights in Belarus, and the outlook was—and continues to be—bleak. HRW stated:
The human rights situation in Belarus has deteriorated drastically and was marked by flawed presidential elections in 2010 and an ensuing crackdown on peaceful protesters and opposition activists. During the Human Rights Council’s initial review of Belarus…in 2010, the government rejected recommendations to protect freedom of speech, association, and assembly, as well as to implement a moratorium on the death penalty…Belarus continues to use the death penalty and to severely restrict freedom of expression and association, including through harassment and intimidation of journalists and restrictive nongovernmental organization (NGO) laws.
Belarus has a long history of shady election cycles and suppressing freedom of expression. According to Freedom House, Belarus continues to rank among the most repressive countries in Eurasia. There is currently no limit on presidential terms, and as such, President Alexander Lukashenko has remained in office for 21 years.
Why does this matter? In the United States, Belarus certainly does not appear in the news frequently, and many Americans likely do not think about the small Eurasian country at all.
Belarus is in a unique position. Geographically, it is sandwiched between the European Union (EU) and Russia, with Ukraine to the south. It is one of only five members of the Eurasian Economic Union, but relations between Belarus and Russia have become strained as the Ukrainian conflict drags on.
Despite some attempts at distancing Belarus from Russian influence, however, President Lukashenko still remains Europe’s “last dictator.” As noted, the domestic human rights situation shows very little signs of improving in the near future. Despite relaxing sanctions against Belarus last month, the EU is unlikely to extend membership to Belarus (nor is Belarus likely to advocate for it) unless the human rights situation improves dramatically.
However, there is some potential for change. From a political and economic standpoint, Belarus has much to gain from friendly diplomatic relations with the EU, particularly if the country continues to grumble with unease about the situation in Ukraine. For the past several years, the vast majority of young Belarusians have sought to emigrate from their homeland, of which Lukashenko is undoubtedly aware. If Belarus is to avoid the same path as Ukraine and other former Soviet states, change is needed within the government and civil society.
