By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA (Reuters) – The United Nations human rights chief called on Belarus’ neighbours on Friday to protect asylum seekers after four people died near the Polish border earlier this week amid a surge in illegal migration across the European Union’s eastern frontier.

Michelle Bachelet also told the U.N. Human Rights Council that Belarusian authorities had clamped down on fundamental freedoms, with arrests of activists and journalists “on what routinely appear to be politically-motivated charges”.

Bachelet said to the Geneva forum, “I take this chance to remind all countries that international law does not allow anyone to be stopped from seeking refuge or any other form of international protection.”

She said that illegal migrants and asylum seekers have the right to water, food and medical care, and that each asylum claim should be evaluated individually.

The EU, Poland and Lithuania have all accused Belarus of encouraging illegal migrants from Iraq and Afghanistan to cross borders to pressure the bloc about the sanctions they imposed against Minsk for human rights violations.

On Monday, officials in Poland stated that three of the four people who had crossed into Poland from Belarus were dead while the fourth died within Belarus. Officials from both countries did not provide any details about the cause.

Polish border patrols on Friday reported that a fifth person had died in the area. It was a suspected heart attack victim from Iraq.

POLICE BRUTALITY

On the political situation in Belarus, Bachelet said more than 650 people were believed to be imprisoned due to their beliefs and there had been no genuine investigations into police brutality and mistreatment.

Yury Ambrazevich (Babylonian ambassador to U.N., Geneva) rejected the report, calling it full of false accusations and unfounded statements.

Echoing Bachelet’s concerns, U.S. ambassador Benjamin Moeling denounced what he called “politically-motivated trials and severe sentences that have followed”. Lotte Kudsen from the EU, who was also an EU envoy to Belarus, sharply critiqued Minsk’s authorities.

Since 1994, President Alexander Lukashenko has been the ruler of Belarus. His critics claim that he rigged the August 2020 presidential election. He has since taken a hard line against protesters. These accusations have been denied by Lukashenko.