Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the state of (a) civil and (b) political rights in Belarus.

The human rights situation in Belarus has deteriorated further in recent months as the Belarusian authorities continue to systematically target political opponents and their supporters, independent media, and civil society. At the Organization for Security Co-operation in Europe, the UK has frequently addressed the human rights situation in Belarus, delivering statements and co-hosting events focussing on accountability for human rights violations and showing solidarity with human rights defenders in Belarus. We continue to work on accountability measures, including through the International Accountability Platform for Belarus which has been taking a survivor-centred approach to gathering evidence of human rights violations in Belarus since 2020.