Автозаки на Октябрьской площади в Минске. 14 июля 2020 года. Фото: Reform.by
The human rights situation in Belarus remains critical: systematic repression has not eased, is politically motivated and targets dissenters, political opponents and those deemed disloyal. This is stated in a review of the human rights situation in September prepared by the Viasna Human Rights Center.
At the end of September, 876 political prisoners were being held in places of detention. The total number of people recognized as political prisoners since the start of the 2020 presidential campaign stands at 4,815. In September, 25 people were recognized as political prisoners.
Following negotiations between Aliaksandr Lukashenka and John Coale, 25 people were released and taken to Lithuania. Another 13 people convicted on political grounds were pardoned by a Lukashenka decree.
“In total, since July 2024, when the process of releasing political prisoners through pardons and exchanges began, around 900 people have been released early. At the same time, the list of people convicted in politically motivated criminal cases known to Viasna has grown by 3,500, while the list of ‘extremists’ has increased by 2,700. A total of 1,044 people were recognized as political prisoners, and 346 were recognized retroactively,” the human rights defenders report.
At least 170 political prisoners are in an especially vulnerable situation due to their health, age or circumstances of detention.
The Belarusian authorities continue cross-border repression in the form of arbitrary criminal prosecution, inclusion on lists of “extremists,” coercion into covert cooperation, surveillance and pressure exerted directly or through relatives and loved ones remaining in Belarus, as well as the confiscation of property belonging to those who have left the country.
The authorities continue to designate groups of citizens as “extremist” organizations and formations, providing grounds for continued criminal repression.
“The statistics on the inclusion of people convicted on political grounds in 2026 on the list of persons involved in extremism indicate that the level of criminal prosecution remains high,” Viasna notes.