UN: Persecution For White-red-white Flags Is A Violation Of Human Rights
- 28.11.2025, 22:06
The UN Human Rights Committee considered the complaint of 15 citizens of Belarus.
Persecution for hanging white-red-white flags on the windows of houses in Belarus is a violation of the rights provided by Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). This conclusion, according to the Human Rights Center "Viasna", was reached by the UN Human Rights Committee (HRC), which considered the complaint of 15 citizens of Belarus and issued a corresponding decision.
In accordance with Article 19 of the ICCPR. 19 of the ICCPR, "everyone has the right to hold opinions without interference".
The HRC did not find sufficient grounds to recognize violations of the rights of these citizens under three other articles of the ICCPR: Article 9 ("Everyone has the right to liberty and security of person. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention"), Article 14 ("All persons are equal before the courts and tribunals") and Article 21 ("The right to peaceful assembly shall be recognized").
The HRC was addressed by Nikolai Kachurets, Vladimir Kiko, Natalia Klimchyk, Natalia Sotskaia, Katarzyna Primak, Lyubov Khvatova, Ivan Malyshko, Olga Aleksievich, Tatiana Ivanova, Iryna Shayevka, Svitlana Starodubets, Alina Moroz, Iulia Davidovich, Yevgenia Zarubayko, Daria Pazhytnykh.
The HRC noted that the applications were filed before Belarus denounced the Optional Protocol to the ICCPR (allowing for individual petitions against Belarus as a state party to the pact) on February 8, 2023. This means that the said Protocol continues to apply to Belarus in this case.
"The Committee wishes to receive from the State party, within 180 days, information about the measures taken to give effect to the Committee's Views. The State party is also requested to publish the present Views and widely disseminate them in the official languages of the State party," Viasna quoted the document as saying.
Belarus, as a State party to the Protocol, is also obliged to provide the authors of the appeals with "an effective remedy".
"This requires it to provide full reparation to the persons whose rights under the Covenant have been violated. Consequently, the State Party is under an obligation to take appropriate measures to recover the current amount of fines and any legal costs incurred by the authors in connection with the domestic proceedings against them. The State party is also under an obligation to take all necessary measures to prevent similar violations in the future," the Human Rights Committee said in its decision.