Ahead of International Women’s Day, the human rights center Viasna published statistics on repression against women in Belarus. According to the organization, 164 women political prisoners remain behind bars.
Among them are 33 women convicted in the “courtyard chat” case, 25 for supporting Ukraine in the war, 16 for “solidarity with political prisoners,” 10 in the “Hajun case,” and 6 in the “CHKB case.” Five women from the media sphere remain imprisoned: Katsyaryna Andreeva, Tina Palynskaya, Palina Pitkevich, Volha Radzivonava and Liudmila Chekina. Two human rights defenders — Nasta Loika and Marfa Rabkova — have been sentenced to seven years and 14 years and nine months in prison respectively. At least 15 women remain in detention with serious health problems.
Most women sentenced to imprisonment are serving their sentences in Women’s Penal Colony No. 4 in Homyel, where 125 women political prisoners are currently held.
Since 2020, at least 1,917 women have been convicted in criminal cases. Of them, at least 881 were sentenced to “home chemistry,” 469 were sent to penal colonies, 75 received “chemistry” sentences and 7 were ordered to undergo compulsory treatment in psychiatric institutions. In addition, at least 9,400 women have faced administrative prosecution, including arrests and fines.
The most common charges include participation in protest actions — at least 1,167 women; “insulting a representative of authority” — 231; “insulting” Alyaksandr Lukashenka — 198; “assisting extremist activity” — 170; “inciting social hatred” — 148; and participation in an “extremist formation” — 96.
Among vulnerable groups subjected to criminal prosecution are 40 mothers with many children, 62 women with serious health problems and 82 women of retirement age. At least 29 of the prosecuted women hold foreign citizenship. Thirty-eight women have been forcibly expelled from Belarus, 58 were sentenced in absentia and 113 were placed on the so-called “terrorist list.”
Viasna notes that some of the figures provided should be regarded as minimum estimates.
