In 2020, we founded The International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus -a special project aimed at documenting as many cases of torture as possible and preserving all evidence of the regime's crimes.
The International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus focuses on three main areas of activity:
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Documentation recording cases of torture
This allows us to preserve information about human rights violations in Belarus until fair trials are possible and the perpetrators can be held accountable. Additionally, we collaborate with international organizations and, armed with evidence of mass torture, can raise awareness about the situation in Belarus.
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Reports and investigations
Based on the documented testimonies, we compile reports and conduct investigations. This helps us systematize human rights violations, keep track of the events, and identify potential perpetrators.
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Universal jurisdiction
We assist victims in initiating investigations in other countries through the mechanism of universal jurisdiction. Currently, such an investigation is underway in Lithuania. In the future, we plan to extend our work to other countries.
Since its founding, the International Committee, together with the Accountability Platform, has collected over 20,000 pieces of evidence from 2,270 witnesses. We have issued 9 reports and 3 investigations, and have helped several dozen people (we cannot disclose the exact number for the sake of the investigation) initiate investigations into their cases in Lithuania.
You can read about the work of the International Committee in 2022 in this report.