A/HRC/RES/50/20 3. Strongly condemns reported arbitrary deprivation of life of persons in custody in breach of international human rights law, and reported continued systematic and widespread torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and punishment of and sexual and gender-based violence against individuals, including children and youth, detained and arrested in Belarus by the State authorities, inhumane detention conditions and denial of access to proper medical care and legal assistance in detention centres and prisons, as well as the denial of the right to a fair trial, and the failure of the Belarusian authorities to conduct prompt, effective, thorough, transparent and impartial investigations into all the aforementioned human rights violations; 4. Expresses deep concern about the reported repression of persons exercising their right to freedom of expression and opinion by speaking out against the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine and the support of Belarus for that aggression, and at the repression of individuals’ freedom to seek, receive and impart information, including regarding the State’s use of territory and infrastructure to enable the aggression by the Russian Federation, and urges the Belarusian authorities to ensure a conducive environment for the functioning of genuinely independent media, both online and offline, including unhindered access to an open, interoperable, reliable and secure Internet; 5. Notes with deep concern the increasingly restrictive legal framework that further restricts the right to freedoms of opinion and expression and of peaceful assembly in violation of international human rights law or that leads to violations of other human rights, and especially targeting pro-democracy activists, peaceful protesters against the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, civil society actors, human rights defenders, including women human rights defenders, lawyers, independent media, journalists and other media workers, but also other individuals, including children, notably the amendments to the Law on Mass Gatherings, the Law on Mass Media, the Law on Countering Extremism and the Law on the Bar and Legal Advocacy, adopted in May 2021, the amendments to the Criminal Code, adopted in May and December 2021, criminalizing the engagement in the activities of dissolved civil society entities or involvement in activities of non-registered organizations, the new Code of Administrative Offences adopted in January 2022, the amendments to the Criminal Code, adopted in May 2022, expanding the use of the death penalty, and particular amendments to the Constitution adopted in the referendum held on 27 February 2022; 6. Strongly urges the Belarusian authorities to fully respect, protect and fulfil all their international human rights obligations, including those under the International Covenants on Human Rights, the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the Convention on the Rights of the Child; 7. Demands in this respect the immediate and unconditional release of all persons arbitrarily or unlawfully detained in Belarus, and also demands that the Belarusian authorities immediately cease the criminal or administrative prosecution, harassment, intimidation and repression of all individuals solely for exercising their human rights and fundamental freedoms; 8. Also demands prompt, effective, thorough, transparent and impartial investigations with a view to ensuring accountability in all cases of alleged human rights violations and abuses, especially those involving deaths, arbitrary detentions, torture and illtreatment, including acts of sexual and gender-based violence, and to ensuring restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction and guarantees of non-repetition for victims, as appropriate; 9. Again strongly urges the Belarusian authorities to take all measures necessary to ensure the full independence and impartiality of the judiciary and the independence and protection of the legal profession, to guarantee the right of all persons to a fair trial and the right to an effective review of sentences and convictions by a higher tribunal, and to guarantee adequate time and facilities to prepare their defences and to communicate with counsel of their choosing, and other legal protection throughout all proceedings, including for those accused of administrative or criminal offences, and regrets the lack of progress in this context; 2