In a new report, the International Federation for Human Rights and the Belarusian human rights center Vyasna say forced labor and violations of workers' rights are widespread in Belarus.
They say Belarusian authorities "use every means possible to feed the country's economy to the detriment of its citizens' economic and social rights."
They also say that Belarus "forces large portions of its population to work, sometimes without pay and especially without the possibility to protest harsh or unfair conditions."
They cite media reports of students working on the construction of sports facilities for the international ice-hockey championship, of conscripts going to harvests, and of local authorities imposing unpaid work on the working population under a system called "subbotnik."
The report was presented in Minsk on December 10 to coincide with International Human Rights Day.
They say Belarusian authorities "use every means possible to feed the country's economy to the detriment of its citizens' economic and social rights."
They also say that Belarus "forces large portions of its population to work, sometimes without pay and especially without the possibility to protest harsh or unfair conditions."
They cite media reports of students working on the construction of sports facilities for the international ice-hockey championship, of conscripts going to harvests, and of local authorities imposing unpaid work on the working population under a system called "subbotnik."
The report was presented in Minsk on December 10 to coincide with International Human Rights Day.
