A/HRC/54/61 Nations action and refrained from speaking publicly in United Nations fora while others had to relocate temporarily outside of the country due to fear of further retribution. They provided consent for the public use of information as long as personal details and other potentially identifying elements were not disclosed. Names and details of individuals concerned are withheld due to fear of further reprisals. 4. Belarus 16. In a context of continuing crackdown on dissenting voices, the International Labour Organization (ILO), through its Governing Body, as well as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and special procedures mandate holders addressed intimidation and reprisals against those sharing information and testimony with the United Nations. They addressed the arbitrary application of restrictive legislation, the absence of domestic remedies and accountability, and the denial of access to United Nations human rights investigators to the country, all of which negatively impact the ability and willingness of civil society to cooperate with the Organization. 17. On 31 October 2022, at the 346th session of the ILO’s Governing Body13, the worker spokesperson noted that the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions and affiliated trade unions had been outlawed by the Supreme Court. She also noted that prosecutors had filed charges against Mr. Yarashuk, Chairperson of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions and member of the ILO Governing Body, owing to his opposition to violations against trade union workers’ rights and his submission of information to the ILO (para. 467). The Government noted that persistent attempts to interpret prosecution as persecution of trade union activity were particularly concerning and stated that the actions of certain trade unions had become extremely destructive and politicized. According to the Government, lawful trade union activities had never been grounds for persecution in Belarus (para. 464). 18. On 10 November 2022, special procedures mandate holders addressed allegations of arbitrary arrest of trade union leaders on 19 April 2022 and their lengthy pre-trial detention, including of Mr. Aliaksandr Yarashuk (BLR 6/2022). Expressing concern about the reported lack of effective avenues for justice, mandate holders noted that many trade union activists left the country because of fear of persecution. Union members reported various forms of harassment and intimidation, including prosecution, interrogations, and surveillance (BLR 6/2022). According to information received by OHCHR, on 26 December 2022, Mr. Yarashuk was convicted to four years of imprisonment under articles 342 (disruption of public order) and 361 (harm to national security) of the Criminal Code. On 24 March 2023, Mr. Yarashuk started serving his sentence in Prison Colony No.17. 19. On 17 March 2023, the High Commissioner for Human Rights 14 noted that by February 2023 the authorities had shut down 797 NGOs, while 432 others had closed to avoid potential prosecution. Referring to the systematic repression against perceived critics of the Government and the near-total destruction of civic space and fundamental freedoms, the High Commissioner noted that the scale of human rights violations is likely to be under-reported due to fear of reprisals and denial of access of United Nations human rights monitors to the country. 20. In her 2022 report to the General Assembly, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus noted that many of those who spoke to her were reluctant to reveal their current location and requested measures to protect their privacy or anonymity, for fear that publishing their testimonies could expose them, their relatives or colleagues still living in Belarus to reprisals. She noted that the crackdown of an unprecedented scale on civil society and human rights defenders in Belarus, including for their public reporting and in reprisal for their cooperation with the United Nations, has forced members of civil society into exile. The Special Rapporteur further noted that the ones who remain in the country 13 14 22 GB.346/PV, paras. 461–495. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/03/belarus-must-end-systematic-repression-releasedetainees-un-human-rights. GE.23-15378