UK still importing furniture and wood from Putin ally Belarus, despite forced prison labour 🗣️ 'As it stands, there is nothing to prevent a UK company from buying furniture directly from a Belarusian prison where political prisoners are being tortured'
The study, which included interviews with current and former political prisoners put to work at wood processing plants as well as Belarusian officials in charge of overseeing the industry, claimed the product of this labour was then being fed via a network of intermediary companies into the supply chains of major European furniture retailers.
Its investigation found that much of the wood production is centred on an institution known as Penal Colony No 2 in the small city Bobruisk, central Belarus, which advertises its furniture production business on its website and has at the same time been used to house political prisoners, including the Belarusian Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski. Multiple allegations of torture and mistreatment of political prisoners have been catalogued by human rights organisations in Belarus.
Provisions laid before Parliament ensure all Belarusian ships are banned from entering British ports and, where necessary, can be detained should they be found in UK waters. However, campaigners said the existence of a customs union between Russia and Belarus means it is equally possible for Russian timber to enter the country and then be re-exported to Britain as Belarusian wood – and yet no sanctions apply.
In a statement, Ikea said it was investigating any links between its products and forced labour. A spokesperson said: “We take these reports seriously, and are concerned. At this time, we have no evidence to substantiate the claims. We are clear across all markets where we are present that human rights abuses, such as forced and bonded labour, have no place in our business.”that the UK Government’s failure to include Belarusian wood products in its sanctions regime was a “complete mystery”.
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