Иллюстративное фото: pixabay.com
Belarusian human rights defenders have recognised six people as political prisoners: Mikita Niachaeu, Darja Puchyla (https://reform.news/fotograf-iskala-rabotu-v-varshave-a-cherez-god-ee-osudili-za-sodejstvie-jekstremistskoj-dejatelnosti), Volha Matusevich, Paval Ksendzov, Liudmila Ksendzova, and Syarhei Doronin.
They have been convicted or are accused under charges of “assisting extremist activity.”
“The Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Security Committee arbitrarily designate groups of citizens united by public or political interests as extremist without any judicial process. These groups criticise the actions of the authorities and demand changes in the state and its policies.
A number of media outlets have also been labelled extremist formations. This, in turn, opens the way to arbitrary criminal prosecution and imprisonment of their participants and respondents as a disproportionate restriction of the rights to association and freedom of expression,” the human rights centre Viasna stated (https://spring96.org/be/news/119118).
The number of political prisoners as of 20 November 2025 stands at 1,257.