The UN Annual International Campaign "16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence"
Invisible but Unbroken: Women Are Being Subjected to Brutal Torture
in Belarus Prisons
On November 25, when the world celebrates the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the annual international campaign “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence” was launched.
In this regard, we would like to bring into focus what has been quite effectively concealed from the eyes of the world: the horrors have not ceased and have been intensifying for the past four years in the penal system of Belarus. Behind the prison walls, women continue to face inhumane and degrading treatment and are subjected to abuse and torture. They face daily violence, sleep deprivation and medical neglect. Imprisoned women in Belarus suffer in silence, facing a war invisible to the outside world. The purpose of this is to break and silence those who dared to exercise their human rights and to publicly speak out against the stolen presidential elections of 2020 and the mass repressions that have engulfed Belarus since then.
Unfortunately, any publicity poses significant risks for the relatives and everyone who shares their stories if they remain in Belarus, often leading to their arrests. As a result, we hear such stories of blatant injustice less and less frequently, but this does not mean that the level of violence in the country has declined. Quite the opposite, away from the attention of the rest of the world, the illegitimate regime continues and intensifies its brutal reprisals against any form of dissent.
In penal colonies and prisons, women find themselves at the mercy of a ruthless authoritarian system from the very first minute they arrive. They are regularly deprived of basic personal belongings and hygiene products, subjected to hours-long humiliating searches, and constantly exposed to threats from guards, like: “people like you should be shot.” As soon as they are moved to quarantine blocks to begin serving their sentences, prisoners face degrading treatment: they are exhausted by endless drills and forced to march with no particular purpose for hours on end, without being allowed to slow down for a minute. They are routinely deprived of communication with their loved ones and have no right to complain. If they lie down in a prison cell a couple of minutes before the officially permitted time due to extreme fatigue, they can end up being locked up in punitive confinement for many weeks, where the cold, lack of nourishment, and isolation become weapons to suppress their will.
Political prisoners are being held under especially harsh conditions. The administration of correctional facilities routinely denies them basic medical aid, using it as an additional tool of pressure. Former prisoners tell of being forced to work on worn-out equipment, which regularly leads to injuries and without access to adequate medical care. Some injuries, such as cut fingers, are often ignored, and, at most, prisoners are offered band-aids or some sort of peroxide and are immediately ordered to return to work.
Women of Belarus in penal colonies fight for their human dignity every day. The nutrition is not just insufficient, but meals are often prepared with rotten produce. Small joys, such as letters from loved ones, are used as a special type of manipulation. As part of censorship, prison authorities often tear up letters from families in front of prisoners. One woman recalled how a guard tore up a letter addressed to her, accusing her mother of “being cynical.” Such an approach is another instrument of pressure aimed at suppressing the willpower of women who dared to speak up and resist the authoritarian regime.
However, the worst form of torture is the deprivation of the basic conditions of human existence. Female prisoners are often not allowed to take a shower or change clothes for weeks. The toilets in correctional facilities are old, almost pre-historic, with leaking plumbing and an ineradicable musty stink. Showers are only allowed once a week. And even then, women have to line up to get сlean. Prisoners are given 15-minute slots to undress, shower (often under cold water), get dry, and get dressed, failing which they will be punished.
Many prison cells are uninhabitable due to dampness, mould, and constant cold; women are forced to sleep in their outdoor clothes to stay warm. During the cold season, the windows in the cells are always open and the ventilation is on. In the summer, the windows are tightly closed, and the ventilation holes are sealed, preventing fresh air circulation.
Women political prisoners in Belarus suffer not because of any committed crimes, but because of their beliefs. The authoritarian system persecutes anyone who dares to speak out against oppression and exercise their rights. On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we appeal to you, activists, human rights defenders, and public figures! Please hear their stories, tell others about them, and become their voice! Do not let the world forget about the innocent victims of oppressive regime! Do not stop demanding that Belarus comply with international standards and provide access to colonies for independent observers to record these inhumane conditions, to end torture and humiliation of women in penal colonies and prisons.
We demand the immediate release of all political prisoners and all those convicted on politically motivated charges!
Today we must take the first step to stop these horrors — we must stop being indifferent, we must break the silence and condemn torture in Belarus! Please support women who have been held captive by one of the most brutal systems of modern times. Share their stories with others, demand justice and the release of political prisoners, and defend the rights of all women — regardless of whether they are free or behind prison walls.
We call you to action! Share the truth and demand change. These women are strong, but only our support will help them survive.
#NoExcuse #Unite #16Days
#StopViolence #StopViolenceAgainstWomen
#BelarusWomen #FreeBelarusWomen #FreePoliticalPrisoners
#Belarus #StandWithBelarus