A UN report reveals systematic torture and inhumane conditions in a Belarusian penal colony, where Polish journalist Andrzej Poczobut is imprisoned.
UN Condemns Torture and Abuse
Seventeen UN experts assessed information indicating “deeply disturbing practices” of detention that may constitute serious violations of international law within the Belarusian penal colony.
The report details prisoners being subjected to prolonged solitary confinement after suicide attempts, disciplinary sanctions, corporal punishment, and denial of medical care, as well as alleged torture.
Case of Journalist Ihar Losik
The UN specifically highlighted the case of journalist and blogger Ihar Losik, who was held on politically motivated charges from June 2022 to September 2025, both in Minsk’s detention center and the penal colony in Novopolotsk.
Losik was among 52 political prisoners released in September 2025 as part of a thaw in relations with the United States, but had previously endured lengthy periods in solitary confinement and was denied family and legal contact.
Punishment for Suicide Attempts and Neglect of Medical Care
Experts expressed deep concern over the practice of punishing prisoners for attempting suicide instead of providing urgent psychological and medical assistance.
The report also noted the death of an elderly prisoner with health problems in 2023, who was placed in solitary confinement without proper medical care.
Unjustified Passport Revocations
A separate group of UN experts “strongly condemned” the Belarusian government’s decision to invalidate the passports of individuals imprisoned for political reasons and forcibly deported after their release in 2025 and 2026.
Andrzej Poczobut’s Imprisonment
Polish journalist Andrzej Poczobut is currently imprisoned in the Novopolotsk penal colony.
According to the human rights center “Viasna,” there are currently 1100 political prisoners in Belarus, including Poczobut.
Deteriorating Conditions for Poczobut
Poczobut has been held in the colony since 2023, spending most of his time in solitary confinement, with limited access to medical care and communication with the outside world, according to Bartosz T. Wieliński, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of “Wyborcza.”
Poczobut was arrested in March 2021 and sentenced to eight years in a strict-regime penal colony in 2023, accused of inciting national hatred and propagating extremism for documenting the history of the Polish minority and performing journalistic duties.
Recent Concerns About Poczobut’s Health
On April 16th, Andrzej Poczobut turned 53. A recent message from a fellow inmate indicated he is in poor health.
