Appeal by Priests During 2020 Protests Declared “Extremist” in Belarus

Belarus’ Ministry of Information has updated the “Republican List of Extremist Materials.” The list now includes the “Appeal to the Christians of Belarus,” published on the Pravmir website in the autumn of 2020 during the period of mass protests. The corresponding decision was issued on May 11, 2026, by the Central District Court of Minsk.

The list of extremist materials was also expanded to include:

• social media pages of the initiative “SPETSPADRAZDZYALENNE 1514”;
• Facebook pages “Alaksandar Arsionaŭ,” “Yuliya Yukhno,” “Mova Nanova — Televersiya,” and “Natalya Goryachko Basalyga”;
• Threads pages “chinchinchannelofficial,” “Mikalai Bandarenka,” and “kyky_org”;
• the YouTube video “Why Did I Leave Belarus? When Will I Return?”

It should be recalled that in Belarus, extremism-related accusations are used by the authorities to combat opposition to Lukashenka and dissent in general.