Author: Pavel Zmagar

• From seven in the morning until nine at night. They looked for Marina Kosinerova at her relativesOctober 16, 2026
  On 14 October security officers went to the relatives of Marina Kosinerova, co-founder of the human rights initiative Dissidentby. From seven in the morning until nine at night. Some were told she had supposedly returned to Belarus. Others were told she would be deported anyway and given a long sentence. That is her own account… Read more: From seven in the morning until nine at night. They looked for Marina Kosinerova at her relatives
• While the regime fights culture, it has to be preserved. Warsaw, 14 OctoberOctober 14, 2026
  On 14 October in Warsaw, at the OSCE Human Dimension Conference, a side event was held on the Belarusian language, culture and young people. At the table were Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski, leader of the democratic forces Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, European Humanities University associate professor Stsiapan Stureika and RADA council chair Aliaksandra Doinich. The opening words… Read more: While the regime fights culture, it has to be preserved. Warsaw, 14 October
• They kept him under constant watch. Vasily Prokhorov got eleven yearsOctober 13, 2026
  Vasily Prokhorov is 57. He was born in Chernobyl and served in the airborne troops. Viasna calls him a person who suffered in the Chernobyl accident. He was given 11 years for “treason.” His wife Larisa and his son Pavel got eight each. He began the term in Novopolotsk colony No. 1. What happened to… Read more: They kept him under constant watch. Vasily Prokhorov got eleven years
• She demanded the political prisoners be freed. The Nobel went to Navi PillayOctober 12, 2026
  On 9 October the Norwegian Nobel Committee gave the Peace Prize to Navi Pillay, “for her efforts to promote peace and international law.” From 1 September 2008 to 31 August 2014 she was United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. After the Square on 19 December 2010, her office kept a record of what was… Read more: She demanded the political prisoners be freed. The Nobel went to Navi Pillay
• A call from the police, and she took the children. From Brest to LithuaniaOctober 9, 2026
  In September, 37-year-old Anastasia took her two children and left Brest for Lithuania. The reason was a call from the police: come in as a witness. A year earlier she had already been tried in an administrative “extremism” case. She did not want to go through it again. This is her account to Zerkalo. The… Read more: A call from the police, and she took the children. From Brest to Lithuania
• In the colony they call him TUT.BY. A source says Dalinnik got nine years, not fourteenOctober 8, 2026
  Dmitry Dalinnik led the investigation team on the TUT.BY case. At the end of 2022 he was himself detained for a bribe and sent to colony No. 3, Vitba. In March 2026 Zerkalo reported 14 years. On 8 October a source told the paper that was a mistake. According to him, Dalinnik was given nine.… Read more: In the colony they call him TUT.BY. A source says Dalinnik got nine years, not fourteen
• Teacher’s Day. Eleven educators are in a colony, a jail or on “khimiya”October 7, 2026
  Teacher’s Day in Belarus is the first Sunday of October. In 2026 that was 4 October. On 2 October Viasna gathered kindergarten teachers, schoolteachers and lecturers who meet the holiday outside a classroom. Below is only what the centre writes about each person. “Khimiya” here means restriction of liberty with an order to an open-type… Read more: Teacher’s Day. Eleven educators are in a colony, a jail or on “khimiya”
• 150 days in a punishment cell. Igor Postnov died in the colony. Friends are not given his bodyOctober 5, 2026
  Vitebsk psychiatrist Igor Postnov has died in Penal Colony No. 1 in Navapolatsk. He was 58. Human rights defender Pavel Levinov reported it on social media on 4 October 2026. The cause of death was not given. According to Levinov, the body is not being released to the friends who want to bury him. Postnov… Read more: 150 days in a punishment cell. Igor Postnov died in the colony. Friends are not given his body
• “You won’t get into college without BRSM.” A school called the mother to the principalOctober 4, 2026
  A Belarusian woman complained on Threads that her child’s school is pressing hard for membership in BRSM, the Belarusian Republican Youth Union, and scaring them that otherwise the child will not get into any college. She has already been called in to see the principal for refusing. Zerkalo reported it on 29 September. By 4… Read more: “You won’t get into college without BRSM.” A school called the mother to the principal
• They got out, and the pressure did not stop. What Viasna collected for 2026September 29, 2026
  On 29 September 2026, 879 political prisoners were still held. Detentions and trials had not stopped. Since May 2020 the number of former political prisoners has reached almost four thousand. About 900 have been pardoned, and 234 of them were expelled from the country. Viasna still calls torture and degrading conditions systemic. And those who… Read more: They got out, and the pressure did not stop. What Viasna collected for 2026
• Fifteen people, and again no names. Lukashenka signed another pardonSeptember 24, 2026
  On 24 September dictator Aliaksandr Lukashenka signed a decree pardoning 15 convicted people. The Telegram channel Pul Pervogo reported it. The press service and BelTA published the same text. Thirteen of them had been accused of crimes of an “extremist nature.” Most of those pardoned are women: ten. According to the press service, all of… Read more: Fifteen people, and again no names. Lukashenka signed another pardon
• “Strike Against Silence”: hundreds in Amsterdam stand with Belarusian political prisonersSeptember 22, 2026
  Hundreds gathered at Amsterdam’s NDSM shipyard to spend half an hour as the voice of people dictator Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s regime tries to erase from public space. The performance A Percussion Piece — also known as “A Strike Against Silence” — turned pots, buckets and lids into a collective act of solidarity. On 19 September 2026,… Read more: “Strike Against Silence”: hundreds in Amsterdam stand with Belarusian political prisoners
• “Behind every figure is a human life.” UN independent experts on Belarus address the Human Rights CouncilSeptember 20, 2026
  An interactive dialogue with the Group of Independent Experts on the human rights situation in Belarus took place during the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council. Group Chair Karinna Moskalenko, with Susan Bazilli and Monika Płatek, delivered an oral update under Council resolution 61/26. The meeting is available on UN Web TV (17th… Read more: “Behind every figure is a human life.” UN independent experts on Belarus address the Human Rights Council
• “They trade us like cattle.” Former political prisoners on pardon-by-negotiationSeptember 18, 2026
  On 16 September, after Belarus–U.S. talks, John Coale said the United States would lift sanctions on two companies — Lakokraska and Bellesbumprom — while Belarusian authorities, as a “gesture of goodwill,” would free 25 political prisoners. The Human Rights Centre Viasna asked former prisoners how they heard news of “pardons” behind bars, what they make… Read more: “They trade us like cattle.” Former political prisoners on pardon-by-negotiation
• Cole published the first photo: 25 political prisoners free. Full listSeptember 16, 2026
  U.S. presidential special envoy John Cole published the first group photo of political prisoners freed on 16 September after talks with dictator Aliaksandr Lukashenka. “25 prisoners are free today! … We’re not done yet!” he wrote on X. All 25 were taken to Lithuania. In exchange, the United States lifts sanctions on two Belarusian companies.… Read more: Cole published the first photo: 25 political prisoners free. Full list
• At least 1,083 people convicted in Belarus under the “facilitating extremism” article — 252 of them womenSeptember 14, 2026
  Since 2021, when Belarus’s Criminal Code gained Article 361-4 on “facilitating extremist activity,” courts have convicted at least 1,083 people. Among them — 252 women, according to the human rights center Viasna in a 14 September repression chronicle. Dictator Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s regime turned a vague statute into a universal tool: talk to independent media, help… Read more: At least 1,083 people convicted in Belarus under the “facilitating extremism” article — 252 of them women
• In Mahiliou the KGB searched people who had traveled to the EU. They checked smartphones and asked about the democratic movementSeptember 4, 2026
  In Mahiliou, KGB officers came with searches to people who had recently traveled to EU countries. They checked phones and asked about contacts with representatives of the democratic forces, according to the Mahiliou team of the Viasna Human Rights Centre — MAYDAY TEAM. Rights defenders reported no detentions from these visits. Dictator Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s regime… Read more: In Mahiliou the KGB searched people who had traveled to the EU. They checked smartphones and asked about the democratic movement
• Aliaksei Ramanau Added to Russia’s MVD Wanted Database. The Entry Says Only “Criminal Case”September 2, 2026
  Fifty-five-year-old former political prisoner and activist from Homiel Aliaksei Ramanau has been added to Russia’s Interior Ministry wanted database. The stated basis is a “criminal case,” but the card does not name a specific Criminal Code article. Ramanau told the human rights centre Viasna the details of his cross-border persecution — how dictator Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s regime reaches people abroad through its… Read more: Aliaksei Ramanau Added to Russia’s MVD Wanted Database. The Entry Says Only “Criminal Case”
• 1 September 2020: More Than 1,000 Students Went Out to Protest. Instead of a Parade — Columns Against LukashenkaSeptember 1, 2026
  Six years ago, on 1 September 2020, on the first day of the academic year, instead of ceremonial assemblies more than a thousand students took to the streets of Minsk — by various estimates from about 1,500 to several thousand. University columns walked along Independence Avenue toward Victory Square and on to the Education Ministry and Independence… Read more: 1 September 2020: More Than 1,000 Students Went Out to Protest. Instead of a Parade — Columns Against Lukashenka
• Viasna, August 25, 2026: Detentions, Trials and Pressure on Political Prisoners Do Not StopAugust 25, 2026
  In Belarus under dictator Aliaksandr Lukashenka, detentions and searches, administrative and criminal trials, and harsh conditions in holding centers do not stop. Political prisoners face pressure; independent media products are branded “extremist materials and formations.” On 25 August 2026 the Viasna Human Rights Center again collected facts of political persecution of Belarusians. The conveyor keeps running Six years after the… Read more: Viasna, August 25, 2026: Detentions, Trials and Pressure on Political Prisoners Do Not Stop
• How Belarusian Civil Society Lives After the Crackdown: Over 2,060 NGOs Erased from the Legal FieldAugust 20, 2026
  Over the past six years, Belarusian civil society has undergone, under dictator Aliaksandr Lukashenka, some of its harshest changes. Almost everything shifted: the conditions for non-profits, registration, funding, relations with the state, and the geography of work. More than 2,060 organizations were forcibly liquidated or pushed into self-liquidation. That is only one face of the crackdown. Before 2020 Even… Read more: How Belarusian Civil Society Lives After the Crackdown: Over 2,060 NGOs Erased from the Legal Field
• Six Years Ago Minsk Saw Two Rallies. We Compare Their Scale in Two PhotosAugust 16, 2026
  On 16 August 2020 Minsk hosted two rallies the same day: in the morning — support for dictator Aliaksandr Lukashenka on Independence Square; in the afternoon — the Freedom March for fair elections at the Minsk — Hero City stele. The regime inflated its turnout; independent frames and counts showed another score. First — “their own” Regime supporters were bused in from… Read more: Six Years Ago Minsk Saw Two Rallies. We Compare Their Scale in Two Photos
• Zashchitnik.BEL: Under Belarus’s Flag — Into Russia’s War Against UkraineAugust 14, 2026
  A website called Zashchitnik.BEL appeared that effectively offered Belarusians a path to the war in Ukraine — on Russia’s side. It promised help with paperwork and accompaniment at every stage of the trip. It was designed to look Belarus-linked: photos of Belarusian soldiers with state-flag patches, a Belarusian mobile-operator number, and the Cyrillic domain .БЕЛ (Belsat, Zerkalo). Belarusian Facade, Russian… Read more: Zashchitnik.BEL: Under Belarus’s Flag — Into Russia’s War Against Ukraine
• Alexander Milinkevich Dies — Unified Opposition Candidate of 2006 and Sakharov Prize LaureateAugust 11, 2026
  On August 11, 2026, Belarusian politician, scholar and former presidential candidate Alexander Milinkevich died in Warsaw. He was 79. Journalist Ihar Kulei, stepson of the politician’s wife Inna Kulei, announced it on Facebook: “Alyaksandr Milinkevich passed away today at 7:15 a.m.” (Charter97). The Unified Candidate of 2006 In October 2005, Milinkevich became the unified candidate of the democratic opposition in the presidential… Read more: Alexander Milinkevich Dies — Unified Opposition Candidate of 2006 and Sakharov Prize Laureate
• “He Raised His Hands — and Fell”: How Alexander Taraikovsky Became the First Victim of Post-Election RepressionAugust 10, 2026
  Six years ago, on August 10, 2020, during protests in Minsk, Alexander Taraikovsky was killed. He was 34. He became the first known victim of repression that began after the falsified presidential election. Video shows empty raised hands, a shot from security forces, a red stain on his shirt. Authorities claimed an “explosive device.” Witnesses and three recordings from different… Read more: “He Raised His Hands — and Fell”: How Alexander Taraikovsky Became the First Victim of Post-Election Repression
• “Such a Dictatorship”: Five Bodyguards Shielded Lukashenko During a Family Photo in VileikaAugust 7, 2026
  On August 7, 2026, dictator Alexander Lukashenko paid a working visit to Vileika. On the street, the large Filistovich family from the village of Seditsa approached him — farmers raising 11 children. They asked for a keepsake photo — and got one. But the whole time the family posed, five bodyguards stood behind the politician, controlling the crowd. Nasha Niva reported on it. The regime’s press service responded… Read more: “Such a Dictatorship”: Five Bodyguards Shielded Lukashenko During a Family Photo in Vileika
• “Russians Will Never Come From Belarusian Territory”: Gordon’s Interview With Lukashenko Three Days Before the Election — Six Years LaterAugust 6, 2026
  A few days before the presidential election, on August 6, 2020, Ukrainian journalist Dmitry Gordon published an interview with Alexander Lukashenko. Recorded on August 5 at the presidential palace, it lasted over 2.5 hours. Three days later, brutal repression began in Belarus and continues; in 2022, full-scale war in Ukraine — including from Belarusian territory. As BBC notes, authorities turned on Gordon after he condemned… Read more: “Russians Will Never Come From Belarusian Territory”: Gordon’s Interview With Lukashenko Three Days Before the Election — Six Years Later
• «Large-family quarter» on Volgogradskaya: flats went to dictator Lukashenko’s bodyguardsJuly 28, 2026
  In 2025 Minsk finished a quarter of five 16-storey blocks on Volgogradskaya Street. City authorities promised homes for housing-queue families and large families. A Zerkalo investigation published by Nasha Niva showed that in one building — 74 Volgogradskaya St. — more than half the flats are linked to dictator Alexander Lukashenko’s Security Service, including his personal bodyguards. Who got flats in building No. 74 Journalists… Read more: «Large-family quarter» on Volgogradskaya: flats went to dictator Lukashenko’s bodyguards
• 12 minors convicted for «crimes against the state» — what Belarus Supreme Court statistics showJuly 26, 2026
  In the first six months of 2026, Belarus convicted 12 minors for crimes «against the state and the procedure for exercising power and governance». This appears in court statistics published by the Supreme Court. What sentences were handed down is not specified. Figures from the report Courts found 239 teenagers guilty in total in H1 2026 — 0.8% more than in the same period… Read more: 12 minors convicted for «crimes against the state» — what Belarus Supreme Court statistics show
• 32 years ago: Lukashenko’s first inauguration under the white-red-white flagJuly 20, 2026
  On 20 July 1994 the Oval Hall of the Government House in Minsk hosted the first presidential inauguration in independent Belarus’s history. Alexander Lukashenko took the oath in Belarusian, a military band played the wordless anthem — lyrics would appear only in 2002 — then the politician addressed deputies in Russian. The ceremony took place under the white-red-white flag, abolished at a referendum a year later.… Read more: 32 years ago: Lukashenko’s first inauguration under the white-red-white flag
• «Who didn’t check will have problems»: Belarusian NPP purges specialists while 160 jobs sit openJuly 18, 2026
  The Belarusian NPP is seeking more than 160 employees — offering salaries up to ten thousand rubles and service housing — while «political» purges continue. Zerkalo reported the dismissal of defectoscopy lab chief Vladimir Vashchilo, a specialist who once insisted on re-inspecting the fallen reactor vessel. Fired for «absenteeism» in the isolation cell In the second half of June 2026, the Belarusian NPP dismissed… Read more: «Who didn’t check will have problems»: Belarusian NPP purges specialists while 160 jobs sit open
• Alexievich at MALDZIS: for dialogue — not reconciliation with the regimeJuly 15, 2026
  Nobel laureate Sviatlana Alexievich, speaking at MALDZIS Fest in Warsaw, argued for dialogue — including with those who stayed under dictator Lukashenko’s regime. Not reconciliation. And not a bet on “sanctions alone.” On 13 July the second intellectual festival of Belarusian culture, Maldzis Fest 2026, took place at Warsaw’s Museum of Modern Art (MSN). Belsat editor-in-chief… Read more: Alexievich at MALDZIS: for dialogue — not reconciliation with the regime
• Warsaw honors Ales Pushkin: living chain at CopernicusJuly 12, 2026
  On 12 July Belarusians in Warsaw held a memorial for artist and political prisoner Ales Pushkin, who died three years ago. Dozens formed a living chain at Nicolaus Copernicus Square with portraits of victims of dictator Lukashenko’s regime. They recalled Pushkin’s place in Belarusian culture and urged not to forget those who died or were killed… Read more: Warsaw honors Ales Pushkin: living chain at Copernicus
• Uladzimir Nyaklyayew turns 80. The poet the regime beat, tried, and forced outJuly 11, 2026
  Uladzimir Nyaklyayew turns 80. Official papers say July 9; the writer marks his real birthday on July 11. He celebrates in Wrocław — in yet another forced exile. Coverage by Nasha Niva, Belsat and Charter’97. On July 11 a literary evening was held at Ossolineum in Wrocław — songs based on his poems, new books Sviataya Krynica and Litviny. Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya’s United… Read more: Uladzimir Nyaklyayew turns 80. The poet the regime beat, tried, and forced out
• Lukashenko Missed Independence Day for the First Time Since 1997July 3, 2026
  On Friday, July 3, dictator Lukashenko missed every event marking Belarus Independence Day. It is the first time since 1997 — when a referendum moved the holiday from July 27 to July 3. That is the conclusion of Zerkalo, which reviewed his schedule across nearly three decades. At Kurgan Slavy, Security Council State Secretary Aliaksandr Volfovich spoke instead.… Read more: Lukashenko Missed Independence Day for the First Time Since 1997
• Dictator’s Aircraft Escorted by Fighters: Lukashenko Flew to Indonesia Under Air Force GuardJuly 2, 2026
  Dictator Alexander Lukashenko flew to Indonesia escorted by foreign fighter jets. The footage captured three military aircraft and the Belarusian presidential plane in mid-air — as Charter’97 and KP.RU report. On July 1, the usurper began an official visit to Indonesia — another stop on his prolonged foreign tour. After a trip through China, he landed in Jakarta, where… Read more: Dictator’s Aircraft Escorted by Fighters: Lukashenko Flew to Indonesia Under Air Force Guard
• Scared and gone? Lukashenko launched a major East and Southeast Asia tour amid Zelensky’s ultimatumJune 29, 2026
  28 June 2026. After two days at Valdai with Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko set off on a “large comprehensive visit” to East and Southeast Asia. The schedule includes three countries and tens of thousands of kilometres. Minsk frames it as multivector policy and economics; observers link the trip to Volodymyr Zelensky’s ultimatum: one week to disable drone repeaters and… Read more: Scared and gone? Lukashenko launched a major East and Southeast Asia tour amid Zelensky’s ultimatum
• 26 June: when dignity should be inviolable — and torture in Belarus remains systemicJune 28, 2026
  26 June is the UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture — the date in 1987 when the Convention against Torture entered into force. Belarus is among 174 state parties, yet despite its obligations, violence by security forces remains a systemic practice and a tool of political control. Viasna lawyer Pavel Sapelka explains how repression in places of detention has changed,… Read more: 26 June: when dignity should be inviolable — and torture in Belarus remains systemic
• Belarus MIA labels ABA Together an extremist formationJune 25, 2026
  On 25 June 2026, it became public that Belarus’s Ministry of Internal Affairs added ABA Together — the Association of Belarusians in America — to its list of extremist formations. According to the ministry, “a group of citizens among the creators, administrators, and other participants of internet resources” under that name “carries out extremist activity.” The decision targets a US-based nonprofit… Read more: Belarus MIA labels ABA Together an extremist formation
• “The embassy handed me to the KGB”: Iranian doctor deported from Belarus and barred from entry for 30 yearsJune 21, 2026
  An Iranian citizen lived in Belarus for more than ten years, worked as a doctor, and held a temporary residence permit. In April 2026 he was detained over an Instagram repost, interrogated for nine hours at the KGB, served 15 days at Okrestina — and expelled with a passport stamp banning entry until 2056. Viasna does not disclose… Read more: “The embassy handed me to the KGB”: Iranian doctor deported from Belarus and barred from entry for 30 years
• Emigration no longer guarantees safety: Interpol traps and extradition risks for BelarusiansJune 18, 2026
  Leaving Belarus after 2020 does not mean you are safe. Authorities have learned to work around Interpol’s ban on political cases: “not an opposition flag but property damage, not protests but hooliganism” — or, more often, economic charges: tax evasion, fraud, “financial schemes.” A business trip or holiday in a regime-friendly country can end in a… Read more: Emigration no longer guarantees safety: Interpol traps and extradition risks for Belarusians
• Mass searches of EHU students and alumni. Tuition payments since 2016 became grounds for a criminal caseJune 12, 2026
  Security forces are conducting searches and interrogations across Belarus of people linked to the European Humanities University (EHU). On 14 April 2026, the Supreme Court declared the university an “extremist organization” — the first such case for a university in the country. Parents are being forced to demand their children drop out; the KGB is seizing diplomas from graduates. Financing… Read more: Mass searches of EHU students and alumni. Tuition payments since 2016 became grounds for a criminal case
• Tikhanovskaya speaks up about “national dialogue” between the opposition and the regime. What could make Lukashenko take that stepJune 8, 2026
  Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and other Belarusian democratic forces are talking again about a “national dialogue” — a format in which opposition representatives should sit at the same table as the authorities, not stay on the sidelines while Alexander Lukashenko bargains with the West. Political analyst Artyom Shraibman argues that the regime does not need such a dialogue; only a mix of… Read more: Tikhanovskaya speaks up about “national dialogue” between the opposition and the regime. What could make Lukashenko take that step
• 31 May — Svetlana Alexievich’s birthday. Independent Belarus’s first Nobel literature laureate turns 78May 31, 2026
  On 31 May 1948, Belarusian writer Svetlana Alexievich was born — winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Literature. She is the first recipient of the award in the history of independent Belarus and the first Russian-language writer to receive the Nobel since 1987 (after Joseph Brodsky). After the 2020 elections, Alexievich joined the presidium of the Coordination Council, was questioned by investigators… Read more: 31 May — Svetlana Alexievich’s birthday. Independent Belarus’s first Nobel literature laureate turns 78
• Tikhanovskaya in Kyiv. Zelensky invited the president of Belarus — the opposition leader came instead. What was said and how Lukashenko respondedMay 27, 2026
  On 25–26 May 2026, Belarusian democratic forces leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya made her first official visit to Kyiv at the invitation of Volodymyr Zelensky. The trip came right after Alexander Lukashenko offered to meet the Ukrainian president “at any point” — and Kyiv responded by hosting Tikhanouskaya. Context: Lukashenko called, Tikhanouskaya came On 21 May, Lukashenko said he was ready to meet Zelensky “at any point in Ukraine… Read more: Tikhanovskaya in Kyiv. Zelensky invited the president of Belarus — the opposition leader came instead. What was said and how Lukashenko responded
• “Belarusians Will Be Punished” — Our Phrase of the Year. What can get you fined in 2026, and why this post went viralMay 26, 2026
  A man listed things that can earn you a fine in Belarus: noisy outdoor recreation, photos in rapeseed fields, picking lilac, bicycles in the hallway, scooters on the staircase, even snow around a parked car. The post went viral instantly, and commenters started adding more reasons — all the way to flower beds near apartment buildings and complaints… Read more: “Belarusians Will Be Punished” — Our Phrase of the Year. What can get you fined in 2026, and why this post went viral
• Five years ago— TUT.BY was raided. “It is hard, it hurts, it is unjust”: on the anniversary, Marina Zolotova speaks of Lyudmila ChekinaMay 18, 2026
  On 18 May 2021 security forces searched the offices of Belarus’s most popular independent outlet, TUT.BY. That began a crackdown after which 15 people were jailed on contested charges. One of them — CEO Lyudmila Chekina — remains behind bars. Former editor-in-chief Marina Zolotova described what Chekina is going through on the painful anniversary. What happened on 18 May 2021 That morning investigators from the State Control Committee’s… Read more: Five years ago— TUT.BY was raided. “It is hard, it hurts, it is unjust”: on the anniversary, Marina Zolotova speaks of Lyudmila Chekina
• Valiantsin Stefanovich: detention, trial and release – chronologyMay 5, 2026
  “Viasna” spoke with Valentin not only about the absurdity of the prison system and the biting cold of the punishment cell, but also about internal transformations: how the mind finds refuge within four walls, how one’s perception of classic literature shifts, and why unexpected solidarity from common criminals leaves a deeper impression than the cruelty… Read more: Valiantsin Stefanovich: detention, trial and release – chronology
• Former political prisoners turned to UN experts over persecution for “disobedience” in penal coloniesMay 1, 2026
  Lead. Activists released from Belarus—and those forcibly expelled—have put Article 411 of the Criminal Code (“malicious disobedience” toward a penitentiary administration) in the public spotlight. By their account, the provision turns disciplinary incidents into grounds for new prison terms and creates a risk of de facto open-ended extension of detention. Mandate holders of the UN have in parallel raised the same article in official… Read more: Former political prisoners turned to UN experts over persecution for “disobedience” in penal colonies
• Belarus adds the YouTube channel vDud to the national list of extremist materialsApril 30, 2026
  On 30 April 2026, the Ministry of Information of the Republic of Belarus updated the national register of extremist materials and included the entire YouTube channel vDud run by journalist Yury Dud. The channel has more than 10 million subscribers. The underlying ruling was issued on 27 April 2026 by the Zheleznodorozhny (Railway) District Court of Vitebsk, as reported by independent outlets citing the ministry. What the decision… Read more: Belarus adds the YouTube channel vDud to the national list of extremist materials
• «Chernobyl Way»: 40 years since the disaster and a march against forgettingApril 26, 2026
  Chernobyl Way is an annual procession of Belarusians on 26 April, marking the anniversary of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986. It was held for the first time in 1989. In 2026, 40 years will have passed since the day of the accident — a special reason to remember those the event took or maimed for life, and the… Read more: «Chernobyl Way»: 40 years since the disaster and a march against forgetting
• Human rights defender Vladimir Telepun detained in MazyrApril 17, 2026
  Mozyr human rights defender and Chernobyl disaster liquidator Vladimir Telepun was detained on 17 April 2026. He is believed to be held in the temporary detention facility (IVS) of the Mozyr district police department (ROVD). The exact reasons and legal basis for his detention are still being clarified. Chronology of pressure December 2021 — According to Zerkalo, searches… Read more: Human rights defender Vladimir Telepun detained in Mazyr
• Rita Dakota on why her mother was targeted in BelarusApril 8, 2026
  Singer Rita Dakota (Margarita Gerasimovich), who was born in Belarus and built her career in Russia, spoke publicly for the first time about why her mother, Svetlana Gerasimovich, was detained in 2022. She did so on Instagram. Details have been recounted by, among others, Salidarnasc / GazetaBY and Nasha Niva. Independent outlet Nasha Niva reported that news of the detention surfaced in a pro-government Telegram channel in the typical… Read more: Rita Dakota on why her mother was targeted in Belarus
• Belarus: political prisoners as of 7 April 2026 — the number, the trend, high-profile casesApril 7, 2026
  Belarus: political prisoners as of 7 April 2026 — the number, the trend, high-profile cases The human rights centre Viasna and partners maintain the count of political prisoners in an open database; updates appear on spring96.org and on Telegram @viasna96. How many people, and how the figure has moved After the mass pardon on 19 March 2026, when about 250 people from those… Read more: Belarus: political prisoners as of 7 April 2026 — the number, the trend, high-profile cases
• YouTube removed the channels of BelTA, STV and ONT: what we knowApril 6, 2026
  The YouTube video platform (owned by Google) removed the official channels of three major Belarusian state media outlets: the BelTA agency and TV channels STV and ONT. News of the block spread widely on the evening of 3 April 2026. Users see the platform’s standard notices that the account is restricted; Belarusian outlets themselves, as well as independent observers, note that the corporation has not issued a… Read more: YouTube removed the channels of BelTA, STV and ONT: what we know
• As of 31 January 2026: again more than a thousand behind barsJanuary 31, 2026
  By the end of January 2026, human rights monitors estimated that 1,158 political prisoners were held in places of detention in Belarus. Among them were 172 women. Over the previous month, the monitoring community added 51 more people to that category. At the same time, Viasna recorded 50 people as former political prisoners — i.e. it recognised their prosecution as politically motivated in connection… Read more: As of 31 January 2026: again more than a thousand behind bars