Geneva, The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) has determined that the conditions and treatment of two women inmates in Belarus constituted abusive treatment, violating their privacy, dignity, and rights. This conclusion was reached after a detailed review of a joint complaint filed by two Belarusian nationals detained in 2017 under degrading conditions, following their participation in mass assemblies.
According to Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the women, aged 29 and 33 at the time of their detention, were subjected to continuous surveillance through video cameras installed in their cells and monitored by male guards. The conditions in the central detention facility in Minsk and the temporary detention facility in Zhodzina were described as humiliating and discriminatory, with the women being forced to expose their bodies to male surveillance without any privacy, even during personal activities such as changing clothes, washing, or using the toilet.
The Committee’s investigation revealed that the women were detained in poor, unhygienic, and degrading conditions that failed to account for their specific needs as women, constituting discrimination on the basis of gender. Committee member Elgun Safarov highlighted the failure of the Belarusian authorities to ensure the protection of female detainees’ dignity, privacy, and physical and psychological safety, in violation of international obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Nelson Mandela Rules.
The CEDAW emphasized that women prisoners should be attended and supervised exclusively by women officers and that detaining women in facilities not addressing their specific needs constitutes discrimination. The Committee called on Belarus to provide full reparation to the victims, including adequate compensation and access to appropriate medical care, to address the adverse impacts on their physical and mental health.
This decision underscores the international community’s commitment to upholding the rights and dignity of women inmates and sets a precedent for addressing similar violations globally.