Author: Yana Zmagar

• Structural discrimination. The UN report on women in BelarusOctober 18, 2026
  The UN special rapporteur on Belarus, Nils Muižnieks, has written a report on women’s rights. The document is dated 14 September 2026. Its symbol is A/81/372. He will present it at the 81st session of the General Assembly. The conclusion is short: discrimination in Belarus is structural and systemic. Since 2020 the old inequality has… Read more: Structural discrimination. The UN report on women in Belarus
• Ten thousand for the market leader. The kvitki.by brand went to Belarusian LotteriesOctober 17, 2026
  Until August 2025 kvitki.by was the main service for concert and entertainment tickets in Belarus. On 26 August officers of the Department of Financial Investigations came to the office and detained a co-founder and the head of the service. In January 2026 the trademarks were registered to the republican enterprise Belarusian Lotteries, part of dictator… Read more: Ten thousand for the market leader. The kvitki.by brand went to Belarusian Lotteries
• Half the sentence served, and article 411 again. A third case against Tikhon OsipovOctober 15, 2026
  On 9 October 2026 a third criminal case was opened against political prisoner Tikhon Osipov under article 411, malicious disobedience to a prison administration. Former political prisoner Antonina Konovalova told the Viasna human rights centre. What exactly he is accused of this time has not been said. Two earlier trials on the same article had… Read more: Half the sentence served, and article 411 again. A third case against Tikhon Osipov
• Mother’s Day. The children were left waitingOctober 14, 2026
  14 October is Mother’s Day in Belarus. Dozens of children meet it without mothers held on political criminal charges. Among them are mothers of many children, mothers of children with disabilities, women taken together with their husbands, and those whose child was left without a mother’s care in the first months. That is what Viasna… Read more: Mother’s Day. The children were left waiting
• Twenty-four trials without the accused. An absentia conveyor in an unfinished yearOctober 11, 2026
  Since 20 July 2022 Belarus has had Law No. 199-Z: a criminal case can be taken to a verdict without the accused, if the person is abroad and does not appear when summoned. On 9 October Viasna wrote that this mechanism remains the main way to pursue those who left. The year is not over.… Read more: Twenty-four trials without the accused. An absentia conveyor in an unfinished year
• The former chief of the General Staff was given social media. Krutoy explained whyOctober 10, 2026
  Former chief of the General Staff Pavel Muraveiko has become a deputy head of dictator Lukashenka’s Administration. On 5 October the head of the Administration, Dzmitry Krutoy, said his brief includes citizens’ appeals, including those from TikTok, Threads and Telegram: someone has to pick from the stream the topics worthy of attention “at the president’s… Read more: The former chief of the General Staff was given social media. Krutoy explained why
• They were gathered for release and sent back to the units after lunchOctober 8, 2026
  After dictator Lukashenka’s talks with US presidential envoy John Coale, 25 political prisoners left the colonies on 16 September. All of them were taken to Lithuania. The same day, in one colony, more than ten others were prepared for release. They were given papers, gathered with their belongings in the assembly hall and told to… Read more: They were gathered for release and sent back to the units after lunch
• Human rights in Belarus, September 2026: 38 pardoned, 876 still insideOctober 6, 2026
  September under dictator Lukashenka again ran on two tracks. On 16 September US special envoy John Coale announced the release of 25 people. All of them were taken to Lithuania. On 24 September the press service announced a pardon of 15 more, 13 of them in cases the authorities call “extremist.” At the end of… Read more: Human rights in Belarus, September 2026: 38 pardoned, 876 still inside
• Twenty-six years of TUT.BY. It opened as email and was shut down as a newspaperOctober 5, 2026
  Twenty-six years ago, on 5 October 2000, the site TUT.BY opened. It was thought up by journalist Sergei Dmitriev, entrepreneur Yuri Zisser and several people with them. Twenty-one years later, on 18 May 2021, the site was blocked. By then the newsroom was the country’s main independent outlet. An idea given away In early March… Read more: Twenty-six years of TUT.BY. It opened as email and was shut down as a newspaper
• The transfers were never named. Mikhail Filipenko was given five years of enhanced regimeOctober 1, 2026
  Political prisoner Mikhail Filipenko was detained in January 2026. The Minsk city court found him guilty under part 2 of article 361-3 of the Criminal Code and sentenced him to five years in prison and a fine of 500 base units. The transfers behind the charge were not named. He is 26. He was born… Read more: The transfers were never named. Mikhail Filipenko was given five years of enhanced regime
• About a hundred thousand came to the “people’s inauguration.” That was Minsk’s answerSeptember 27, 2026
  Six years ago, on 27 September 2020, Belarus was on the 50th day of protests. The count starts from the night of 9 August, when the election commission declared dictator Aliaksandr Lukashenka the winner and people did not believe it. Four days before the march, on 23 September, he held his inauguration in secret. That… Read more: About a hundred thousand came to the “people’s inauguration.” That was Minsk’s answer
• His first birthday in freedom. Ales Bialiatski turns 64September 25, 2026
  On 25 September Ales Bialiatski turns 64. It is his first birthday in freedom since his release on 13 December 2025. He is the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, a Belarusian human rights defender, and the founder and head of the Viasna Human Rights Centre. He was born on 25 September 1962 in Vyartsilya, in… Read more: His first birthday in freedom. Ales Bialiatski turns 64
• Freed Viasna volunteer Sviatlana Yakubovich: “They watched us for about ten months”September 23, 2026
  Former political prisoner and volunteer of the Homiel branch of the Viasna Human Rights Centre, Sviatlana Yakubovich, has described how dictator Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s regime persecuted her and her husband — political prisoner Stanislau Machalau, who was not released — and how she herself was taken to freedom. The full interview was published by Homiel Viasna… Read more: Freed Viasna volunteer Sviatlana Yakubovich: “They watched us for about ten months”
• UK and 37 other states call for release of all political prisoners in Belarus and an end to repressionSeptember 19, 2026
  The United Kingdom and 37 other OSCE participating States called on the Belarusian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners and end repression against civil society, independent media and opponents of the regime. The joint statement was delivered on 17 September at the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna. It was read by Denmark’s… Read more: UK and 37 other states call for release of all political prisoners in Belarus and an end to repression
• Liudmila Chekina is free. The TUT.BY CEO did not back down — and walked out after a 12-year sentenceSeptember 17, 2026
  Among the political prisoners freed is Liudmila Chekina, CEO of TUT.BY. In a politically motivated case she received 12 years in a colony — for refusing to abandon her principles and doing her job honestly. Dictator Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s regime tried to break a newsroom and a person. Today she is free. Five years they took… Read more: Liudmila Chekina is free. The TUT.BY CEO did not back down — and walked out after a 12-year sentence
• U.S. lifts sanctions on Lakokraska and Bellesbumprom — Minsk frees 25 more political prisonersSeptember 16, 2026
  On 16 September, U.S. presidential special envoy John Cole announced in Minsk an “interim deal” with dictator Aliaksandr Lukashenka: Belarus frees 25 prisoners, and the United States lifts sanctions on two companies — Lida-based Lakokraska and the Bellesbumprom concern. People for enterprises. That is what “direct diplomacy” looks like when a regime trades hostages. What… Read more: U.S. lifts sanctions on Lakokraska and Bellesbumprom — Minsk frees 25 more political prisoners
• Ahead of Cole’s visit: 43 elderly political prisoners still behind bars. For them, every day is a risk to lifeSeptember 15, 2026
  Ahead of a possible new wave of releases expected after U.S. presidential special envoy John Cole arrives, Viasna human rights defenders remind the public of those who remain behind bars in an especially vulnerable situation. Among them are elderly people and prisoners with serious illnesses. For them, prolonged detention means further health decline and a… Read more: Ahead of Cole’s visit: 43 elderly political prisoners still behind bars. For them, every day is a risk to life
• Six years ago the women’s march reached Victory Square: ten thousand at the stele — under a police-van escortSeptember 12, 2026
  Six years ago, on 12 September 2020, Minsk’s women’s march ended at Victory Square. Here, at the stele on Independence Avenue, the columns converged — Tut.by already counted about ten thousand people. Security vans rode alongside almost the entire way. Before that, OMON and men in balaclavas beat and grabbed people at Freedom Square and… Read more: Six years ago the women’s march reached Victory Square: ten thousand at the stele — under a police-van escort
• He returned from Poland — three months later, five years in a colony. Dzmitry Novikau was sentenced for two small crypto transfersSeptember 10, 2026
  A Belarusian was detained three months after returning home. He was tried and sent to a colony for five years. Security forces came for 31-year-old Dzmitry Novikau in December 2025. The pretext, according to Viasna, was “two small money transfers for the humanitarian needs of Belarusian volunteers defending Ukraine in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.”… Read more: He returned from Poland — three months later, five years in a colony. Dzmitry Novikau was sentenced for two small crypto transfers
• Human rights in Belarus, August 2026: six years of repression in numbers — and a conveyor that never stoppedSeptember 3, 2026
  August 2026 under dictator Aliaksandr Lukashenka ran on two parallel tracks: anniversary figures for six years of repression, and the daily conveyor — new political prisoners, the EHU case, fresh “extremist” lists. Pardons and diplomatic releases did not change the core fact: the list behind bars keeps updating almost every week. 9 August: six years — in… Read more: Human rights in Belarus, August 2026: six years of repression in numbers — and a conveyor that never stopped
• Volodarka with Cafés: Bloggers Were Taken on a Tour — and Got a Reaction Officials Did Not ExpectAugust 31, 2026
  Minsk authorities organized a blogger tour of Pishchalauski Castle — former Pre-Trial Detention Center No. 1, known as Volodarka. After reconstruction the complex is to open to visitors: a museum display, food venues, and nearby mass events and historical reenactments. Blogger Maxim Pushkin showed the building and wrote: “Once they finish, they’ll open it for everyone! There will… Read more: Volodarka with Cafés: Bloggers Were Taken on a Tour — and Got a Reaction Officials Did Not Expect
• Six Years Ago Belarusians Came to Lukashenka’s Residence. He Marked His Birthday — Behind Riot PoliceAugust 30, 2026
  Six years ago, on 30 August 2020, Minsk saw a massive March of Peace and Independence. The action coincided with dictator Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s 66th birthday, which he marked while hiding in the Palace of Independence behind riot police. On the capital’s streets, by various estimates, stood from 100,000 to more than 200,000 people. Columns walked to the “Minsk —… Read more: Six Years Ago Belarusians Came to Lukashenka’s Residence. He Marked His Birthday — Behind Riot Police
• At least 174 people added to the “extremist” list in summer 2026. Lukashenka’s regime keeps the conveyor runningAugust 28, 2026
  In summer 2026 the authorities of dictator Aliaksandr Lukashenka kept regularly expanding the list of people “involved in extremist activity.” In June and July alone they added 161 names. In August, according to already published updates, at least 13 more. Across three summer months — at least 174 people. That is according to the human rights centre Viasna. What this list is This is… Read more: At least 174 people added to the “extremist” list in summer 2026. Lukashenka’s regime keeps the conveyor running
• “I Couldn’t Sit for Five Days, and They Asked If I Had Complaints.” Sergey Ivantsov on Police Torture and PrisonAugust 24, 2026
  A complaint against a fraudster — and the same police station hauled him back as a “political.” Silent beating in the basement, nearly four months alone, Shklov’s “slave plantation,” and expulsion from the country. Psychologist Sergey Ivantsov told Viasna how dictator Aliaksandr Lukashenka‘s repression machine works — from the precinct to the colony. How they took him Ivantsov is a… Read more: “I Couldn’t Sit for Five Days, and They Asked If I Had Complaints.” Sergey Ivantsov on Police Torture and Prison
• Aliaksandr Siezien: Lost a Third of His Weight, Left Under an IV — and Asks Belarusians Not to Turn on Each OtherAugust 22, 2026
  Fifty-six-year-old Aliaksandr Siezien of Vawkavysk is a political activist with almost 20 years’ experience and a group-3 disability. Back in 2014 he ran for a local council seat. In 2024 he was detained over comments about “regime accomplices.” Behind bars he lost a third of his weight, endured harsh punishment cells (SHIZO), refused to cooperate with operatives… Read more: Aliaksandr Siezien: Lost a Third of His Weight, Left Under an IV — and Asks Belarusians Not to Turn on Each Other
• “Now I Have to Undress”: Strip Searches Return at the Belarus BorderAugust 21, 2026
  New accounts again describe harsh personal searches when Belarusians return home. A woman who often travels between Belarus and Poland told MOST that after a car check, an X-ray and a talk with KGB officers she was taken to a separate room and ordered to undress to her underwear. Before the procedure, female officers switched on body… Read more: “Now I Have to Undress”: Strip Searches Return at the Belarus Border
• Aliaksei Reznikau: “Electroshock Hurts Only the First Two Times” — Torture, Colonies, Freedom After 4.5 YearsAugust 19, 2026
  Thirty-eight-year-old Vitebsk resident Aliaksei Reznikau was detained in January 2022 and later sentenced to four and a half years in a colony on five political charges. During the investigation he was beaten and tortured with an electroshock device; behind bars he went through pre-trial detention, colonies, punishment cells (SHIZO) and prison regime. On 25 February 2026 he was freed after serving… Read more: Aliaksei Reznikau: “Electroshock Hurts Only the First Two Times” — Torture, Colonies, Freedom After 4.5 Years
• Six Years Since the Freedom March: On August 16, 2020, at Least 200,000 Took to MinskAugust 16, 2026
  Six years ago, on August 16, 2020, Minsk saw the largest protest in modern Belarusian history: at least 200,000 people. Crowds gathered at the Minsk — Hero City stele, then marched along Independence Avenue. It was a reply to dictator Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s rigged election — and to nights of security-force terror. What happened on August 16 A week after… Read more: Six Years Since the Freedom March: On August 16, 2020, at Least 200,000 Took to Minsk
• Belarus Ranks 132nd in the 2026 Prosperity Index — Worst Result in EuropeAugust 12, 2026
  Belarus placed 132nd out of 161 countries in the Legatum Prosperity Index 2026 — the worst result among European states. Under dictator Aliaksandr Lukashenka, the country still looks relatively solid on education and health, but collapses on freedom and social fabric. The ranking has been compiled since 2007 by the Prosperity Institute. It draws on data from the World Bank, the World Health… Read more: Belarus Ranks 132nd in the 2026 Prosperity Index — Worst Result in Europe
• Six Years Since August 9, 2020: Falsified Election, Protest Crackdown, and Repression That Never EndedAugust 9, 2026
  On August 9, 2020, Belarus held a presidential election. According to the Central Election Commission, dictator Alexander Lukashenko received 80.1% — more than four million votes. Experts from the Golos platform reconstructed a different outcome: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya — at least 56% (about 3 million votes). That same evening, thousands of people took to the streets — and faced brutal force from security services. Six years later, the regime’s repression… Read more: Six Years Since August 9, 2020: Falsified Election, Protest Crackdown, and Repression That Never Ended
• Ales Pushkin: Jailed for His Art — Died in Prison From a Perforated UlcerAugust 6, 2026
  Ales Pushkin was a renowned Belarusian artist and political prisoner. He was sentenced to 5 years in a strict-regime colony for “desecration of state symbols” (Art. 370) and “incitement of racial, national, religious or other social enmity” (Part 3, Art. 130), reports human rights center Viasna. On the night of July 10–11, 2023, he died in intensive care — transferred… Read more: Ales Pushkin: Jailed for His Art — Died in Prison From a Perforated Ulcer
• Sergey Mikhalko Sentenced in Absentia to 4 Years for “Insulting” the Dictator and “Inciting Hatred”August 4, 2026
  On August 4, 2026, the Minsk City Court in absentia sentenced musician Sergey Mikhalko to four years in a general-regime penal colony. The Minsk prosecutor’s office announced the verdict. The leader of Lyapis Trubetskoy, Brutto, and Drezden was found guilty of publicly insulting Alexander Lukashenko (Part 1, Article 368 of the Criminal Code) and deliberate actions aimed at inciting other social hostility and discord (Part 1,… Read more: Sergey Mikhalko Sentenced in Absentia to 4 Years for “Insulting” the Dictator and “Inciting Hatred”
• Human Rights in Belarus, July 2026August 2, 2026
  In July 2026, the regime of dictator Alexander Lukashenko continued systemic repression. By month’s end, human rights center Viasna recognized 883 political prisoners (Belsat). 39 new names were added in July. Courts hand down terms of 20 years and more, while pressure increasingly happens “quietly” — without confession videos and high-profile show trials. July Numbers The longest known sentence belongs to Viachaslau Maliaichuk: 26 years and… Read more: Human Rights in Belarus, July 2026
• Five years of “extremism”: how Lukashenko’s regime outlawed BelsatJuly 27, 2026
  Exactly five years ago, on 27 July 2021, a court in Homiel’s Railway District declared the website and all social media accounts of Belsat TV “extremist materials.” Dictator Lukashenko’s regime turned independent media into a target of criminal and administrative prosecution — for reading, subscribing, even reposting. Belarus’s Interior Ministry announced the ruling: the basis was a review by… Read more: Five years of “extremism”: how Lukashenko’s regime outlawed Belsat
• «Don’t ask how a mother lives without her children»: Anna Papay after «pardon»July 24, 2026
  In October 2025 Anna Papay last saw her sons in person — they came with their grandmother for a colony visit. In December she was «pardoned» and taken to Ukraine, then Poland. She now lives in Warsaw, works in a bakery and talks to her children by video every day — but does not know when she can hug them again. She… Read more: «Don’t ask how a mother lives without her children»: Anna Papay after «pardon»
• “The Russian lobby puts out everything”: three Belarusian clothing brands with national motifs closed in a weekJuly 21, 2026
  Within just a few days, three Belarusian clothing and accessories brands built around national motifs — Honar, LSTR Adzieńnie and the ethno-shop Ragna — announced they were shutting down. None gave reasons on social media. On 14 July human rights defenders reported that one owner had been detained. Zerkalo spoke with an anonymous source in the cultural sector who described pressure on nationally oriented Belarusian business… Read more: “The Russian lobby puts out everything”: three Belarusian clothing brands with national motifs closed in a week
• Belarusian writer Sviatlana Kurs (Eva Vezhnavets) has diedJuly 20, 2026
  On 20 July 2026, Belarusian writer, journalist and translator Sviatlana Kurs, known by the literary pseudonym Eva Vezhnavets, passed away. She was 54. She had spent the past year fighting cancer. Her family announced her death on social media. «The family announces with deep sorrow» Relatives wrote: «The Kurs family announces with deep sorrow her untimely death. We will share details… Read more: Belarusian writer Sviatlana Kurs (Eva Vezhnavets) has died
• “Woman is the main thing”: Year of the Belarusian Woman merch features Lukashenko’s portraitJuly 19, 2026
  Authorities launched a “people’s merch” for the Year of the Belarusian Woman declared by dictator Lukashenko: T-shirts with the slogan “Woman is the main thing. As she says — so it shall be!” The illustration is not a famous Belarusian woman, but the politician himself holding a champagne flute. Sales started on 7 July 2026 at Pervy stores — the same… Read more: “Woman is the main thing”: Year of the Belarusian Woman merch features Lukashenko’s portrait
• Nina Bahinskaya stopped on the street — officers took a book from her bagJuly 14, 2026
  Security forces stopped known activist Nina Bahinskaya on the street. Without explanation they searched her belongings and took a book from her bag, eyewitnesses told Belsat. Which book it was is unknown. She was not taken to the police station this time — but officers refused to return the book. Bahinskaya’s face is familiar to the security services.… Read more: Nina Bahinskaya stopped on the street — officers took a book from her bag
• Gerasimenya attacked in Warsaw: punched at the bus stationJuly 13, 2026
  An unknown man punched Aliaksandra Gerasimenya in the head from behind and fled at once. It happened on the morning of 10 July at Warszawa Zachodnia bus station. Charter97.org editor-in-chief Natallia Radzina first reported the assault: a man about 35 approached from behind, struck without a word and walked away. Crowds rushing for buses barely noticed. When the athlete… Read more: Gerasimenya attacked in Warsaw: punched at the bus station
• Zelensky changed his rhetoric on Lukashenko: from “no borders” to sanctionsJuly 10, 2026
  In 2019 Volodymyr Zelensky said Belarus and Ukraine had no borders. In 2026 he imposed personal sanctions on dictator Lukashenko and demanded the dismantling of retransmitters in the Brest and Homiel regions. Between those points: war, a vassal regime, and the language of ultimatums. Zerkalo mapped how Kyiv’s tone toward the Belarusian usurper shifted from regional-forum… Read more: Zelensky changed his rhetoric on Lukashenko: from “no borders” to sanctions
• She Fled Dictator Lukashenko’s “Chemistry” — and Drew Her Fear with Acrylic MarkersJuly 7, 2026
  Belarusian Irina — just over twenty — fled dictator Lukashenko’s “chemistry” sentence and in Lithuania used acrylic markers to draw her arrest, Okrestina, Volodarka, and escape. Not photographs — drawings of one of the scariest periods of her life. Zerkalo reported her story. Her name is changed — for safety. She also asks that the details of… Read more: She Fled Dictator Lukashenko’s “Chemistry” — and Drew Her Fear with Acrylic Markers
• Lukashenko Pardoned 32 People. 28 of Them Are Political PrisonersJuly 1, 2026
  Dictator Lukashenko pardoned 32 convicts on July 1, 2026 — ahead of the “Independence Day” the regime marks on July 3. Of them, 28 people are political prisoners: the authorities call their cases “extremist-related crimes.” Charter’97 reports this, citing the dictator’s press service. Those freed include 20 women and 12 men. Names were not officially released, Meduza notes. The regime repeats a… Read more: Lukashenko Pardoned 32 People. 28 of Them Are Political Prisoners
• Ultimatum, drills, and a “long trip”: how Lukashenko balances between Kyiv and MoscowJune 26, 2026
  For several days, Aleksandr Lukashenko, observers say, walked a thin line: not to drag Belarus into Russia’s war against Ukraine after Volodymyr Zelensky’s ultimatum with hints that Kyiv might take military action. Within a week: Zelensky said the ultimatum’s conditions were met; large mobilization drills began in the country; Lukashenko left for a “long foreign… Read more: Ultimatum, drills, and a “long trip”: how Lukashenko balances between Kyiv and Moscow
• “A week will be enough”: Zelensky issues ultimatum to Lukashenko over drone repeatersJune 20, 2026
  19 June 2026, Kyiv. Volodymyr Zelensky publicly addressed Alexander Lukashenko and gave him one week to disable or dismantle repeaters on communications towers in Belarus’s border Gomel and Brest regions. According to Kyiv, this equipment helps Russia correct drone strikes against Ukrainian cities, energy infrastructure, and railways — not only along the front line. If Minsk does not act, Ukraine… Read more: “A week will be enough”: Zelensky issues ultimatum to Lukashenko over drone repeaters
• “Releasing political prisoners must not mean arresting others” — Andrey Poczobut in the European ParliamentJune 19, 2026
  On 17 June 2026 in Strasbourg, former political prisoner Andrey Poczobut addressed the European Parliament in a formal sitting and personally received the 2025 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. The journalist, freed on 28 April in a Belarus–Poland prisoner exchange, thanked everyone who fought for his release — and warned: some are released while others are jailed, and that erodes faith in… Read more: “Releasing political prisoners must not mean arresting others” — Andrey Poczobut in the European Parliament
• “I squatted 12 times with my legs wide apart, naked.” How Belarus treats female witnesses in criminal casesJune 16, 2026
  In Belarus, a woman called as a witness in a criminal case can end up in the crosshairs herself. A summons “for a talk” often turns into detention, a search, seizure of a phone, and days in a detention facility. How this practice works and why it hits women especially hard — lawyer and researcher Lilia… Read more: “I squatted 12 times with my legs wide apart, naked.” How Belarus treats female witnesses in criminal cases
• From colony to “closed” prison. How political prisoners are moved to prison regime and what it meansJune 10, 2026
  Belarusians sentenced on “political” charges are often transferred by court from a colony to prison regime — the harshest form of imprisonment short of life-sentence zones. Sergei Rudenkov followed that path: nearly a year in IK-17 in Shklov, then prison No. 4 in Mogilev. Zerkalo and other former political prisoners describe why people are sent to a “closed” prison and how it breaks them. Rudenkov’s case:… Read more: From colony to “closed” prison. How political prisoners are moved to prison regime and what it means
• Human rights in Belarus. May 2026June 5, 2026
  According to the monthly review by the human rights center Viasna (published on 4 June), the situation in the country remains critical: state terror, politically motivated persecution, and transnational repression show no sign of easing. At the end of May, 854 political prisoners were held in places of detention — nearly twenty more than at the end of April. In parallel, the… Read more: Human rights in Belarus. May 2026
• Alexey Khlestov is free. Singer served 14 days at Okrestina — first video with his wife and what is known about his conditionJune 4, 2026
  On 4 June 2026, Belarusian singer Alexey Khlestov was released after 14 days of administrative arrest. His wife Elena Khlestova announced it in Instagram stories: a video shows the couple in a car listening to the artist’s song “Ya i ty” (“You and I”). Khlestov himself has not yet given any detailed comments — he has said nothing publicly about how he feels or about… Read more: Alexey Khlestov is free. Singer served 14 days at Okrestina — first video with his wife and what is known about his condition
• “I wanted nothing but to disappear.” Former political prisoner told Zerkalo about two suicide attempts — at Volodarka and in a penal colonyMay 30, 2026
  “At that time I wanted nothing — only to disappear, to die, to stop suffering,” recalls former political prisoner Alexey in an interview with Zerkalo. Behind bars he twice tried to take his own life: first at the detention center on Volodarsky Street, later in a penal colony in Shklov. Fortunately, he did not succeed. He recently finished his sentence… Read more: “I wanted nothing but to disappear.” Former political prisoner told Zerkalo about two suicide attempts — at Volodarka and in a penal colony
• Singer Alexey Khlestov detained. 14 days of arrest after interview about stage ban and an Instagram videoMay 23, 2026
  On the evening of 21 May 2026, security forces detained popular Belarusian singer Alexey Khlestov and took him to the Okrestina detention centre. The next day a court sentenced him to 14 days of administrative arrest for “petty hooliganism”. That morning a pre-recorded Instagram video went live: Khlestov described a series of “preventive talks” with GUBOPiK and other agencies — and asked people to share the recording if something… Read more: Singer Alexey Khlestov detained. 14 days of arrest after interview about stage ban and an Instagram video
• “You’re a mother — we’ll show this”: intimate photos used as pressure on women during interrogationMay 20, 2026
  After the 2020 protests in Belarus, a phone taken at interrogation is often not only a source of “evidence” about marches and chats but a lever for sexualised humiliation. One account — from a Belarusian woman detained in 2022, called Vera here (name changed): officers, she says, found intimate images in her messages to her partner and made… Read more: “You’re a mother — we’ll show this”: intimate photos used as pressure on women during interrogation
• Investigative committee goes after Mikhalok. Special proceedings opened on two charges — incitement of hatred and insulting LukashenkoMay 19, 2026
  On 18 May 2026 Belarus’s Investigative Committee placed Sergey Mikhalok, founder of Lyapis Trubetskoy, on the list of people facing special proceedings. He is accused under Art. 130(1) (inciting social hatred or discord) and Art. 368(1) (public insult of the president). The first carries a penalty from a fine to five years in prison; the second up to four years. Special proceedings mean that once the investigation… Read more: Investigative committee goes after Mikhalok. Special proceedings opened on two charges — incitement of hatred and insulting Lukashenko
• After five and a half years in prison: what Marfa Rabkova says about forgiving, her father, and the people on the other sideMay 12, 2026
  Marfa (Maria) Rabkova, coordinator of the volunteer service at the Belarusian Viasna Human Rights Center, spent roughly five and a half years behind bars. After her release she spoke at length about how she had changed, how she lived through her father’s death and let go of hatred in favour of forgiveness, why she tried to see… Read more: After five and a half years in prison: what Marfa Rabkova says about forgiving, her father, and the people on the other side
• Human rights in Belarus. April 2026May 8, 2026
  Independent monitoring in April 2026 still points to a severe situation along three lines at once: politically motivated criminal prosecution and the prison system, administrative suppression of any unsanctioned gatherings, and a shrinking space for speech through “extremist” lists and new administrative-offence rules. Politically motivated prosecution and political prisoners The official list of political prisoners maintained by the Viasna Human Rights… Read more: Human rights in Belarus. April 2026
• Gomel: widespread “preventive talks” with former political prisoners — what human rights defenders reportMay 7, 2026
  According to the regional office of the Viasna Human Rights Center — Homieĺ Viasna — the city has seen widespread practice of summoning former political prisoners to district police departments (ROVD) for so-called preventive talks. The issue is framed alongside pressure on people who have already been released yet remain on law‑enforcement records or are treated as a “threat to public order” within… Read more: Gomel: widespread “preventive talks” with former political prisoners — what human rights defenders report
• “If they lock me up again—well, then I’ll do the time.” Andrei Pochobut on Freedom, death row, and the right to return.May 4, 2026
  Polish-Belarusian journalist and activist Andrey Poczobut was released on April 28, 2026, after more than five years in prison and a penal colony, and 1,860 days—as he counts them from the day of his arrest. For decades his name was associated with pressure on Poland’s minority in Belarus and on independent journalism there; now, at… Read more: “If they lock me up again—well, then I’ll do the time.” Andrei Pochobut on Freedom, death row, and the right to return.
• On the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl NPP disaster, the “The Chernobyl Way” crossed paths in FloridaApril 26, 2026
  In Belarus today, going out with a flag means prison. Here in Florida, we can walk freely. Let us use that freedom. Each of us is a voice for those who have been forced into silence. Every year on April 26, Belarusians remember the Chernobyl disaster and its long aftermath by joining Charnobylski Shlyakh (“the Chernobyl Way”) —… Read more: On the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl NPP disaster, the “The Chernobyl Way” crossed paths in Florida
• 30 years of “Viasna”: behind the date stand not a chronicle, but human lives.April 26, 2026
  On April 26, 2026, the Human Rights Center “Viasna” turns 30. Behind this round date stand thousands of appeals, lists of repressions, letters to political prisoners, and the lives of people who made “Viasna” what Belarus and the world know it to be: from the “Viasna‑96” campaign to the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize for its founder… Read more: 30 years of “Viasna”: behind the date stand not a chronicle, but human lives.
• “This leaves people effectively rightless.” UN condemns Belarus for invalidating passports of exiled citizensApril 21, 2026
  On 20 April 2026, the UN Group of Independent Experts on the Situation of Human Rights in Belarus issued two parallel statements: one on “deeply alarming” practices inside Belarusian prisons and another statement strongly condemning the invalidation of passports of former political prisoners forcibly expelled from the country in 2025 and 2026. The experts say such measures are… Read more: “This leaves people effectively rightless.” UN condemns Belarus for invalidating passports of exiled citizens
• Photographer Aliaksandr Shishko detained at Minsk airport on return from GeorgiaApril 14, 2026
  On 14 April 2026, photographer Aliaksandr Shishko was detained at Minsk National Airport. The information was published on the DissidentBY project website; rights defender Roman Kislyak confirmed it for Pozirk. Aliaksandr had lived in Tbilisi since at least 2022. Why he returned to Belarus is hard to say; perhaps he missed his homeland and his family. I think he misjudged the risk of being detained — he thought he would slip… Read more: Photographer Aliaksandr Shishko detained at Minsk airport on return from Georgia
• Security forces visited ZROBIM Architects’ Minsk office two days in a row: what we knowApril 10, 2026
  ZROBIM Architects—one of the most prominent firms in the Belarusian market, with a strong international profile—was in the crosshairs of law enforcement on two consecutive days. On 9 April 2026 the story was a mass raid with on-site detentions; on 10 April investigators appeared to be operating on the logic of picking up those who… Read more: Security forces visited ZROBIM Architects’ Minsk office two days in a row: what we know
• The “Hajun case”: what it is, what sentences have been handed down, and how it continues in 2026April 9, 2026
  Belarusian Hajun is a civic monitoring project launched in early 2022 after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Through a Telegram bot and community, it collected photos and information on the movement of Russian military equipment across Belarus. As early as 2022 the authorities of Belarus designated the project an extremist formation; in subsequent years participants and those… Read more: The “Hajun case”: what it is, what sentences have been handed down, and how it continues in 2026
• Release of political prisoners in Belarus: context and scaleApril 5, 2026
  Minsk. In 2025–2026, open sources repeatedly reported mass pardons of people whom human rights groups classify as political prisoners. These events unfolded against the backdrop of Belarusian leadership’s foreign-policy contacts with the United States and a partial reassessment of Western sanctions, including in trade and transport. Timeline (from media and monitoring reports) In autumn 2025, a large group of prisoners was released under arrangements with Washington as described in… Read more: Release of political prisoners in Belarus: context and scale
• Belarus in Freedom House 2026: “Not Free” status and zero scores for the oppositionApril 5, 2026
  Freedom House has published the latest Freedom in the World edition for 2026 (covering calendar 2025). In the country chapter, Belarus is again classed as Not Free: an overall score of 7 out of 100, political rights 1 out of 40, civil liberties 6 out of 60. Compared with the previous year, the aggregate rating is unchanged (7/100; Not Free status retained). Assessment of the political system The country overview states… Read more: Belarus in Freedom House 2026: “Not Free” status and zero scores for the opposition
• Freedom Day 2026March 25, 2026
  On 25 March 2026, the 108th anniversary of the proclamation of the Belarusian People’s Republic (BPR) is marked — Freedom Day (Dzień Voli). On this day Belarusians around the world hold solidarity actions, cultural events, and rallies organised by the diaspora, including under the umbrella of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s office. Main points for Freedom Day 2026: In 2026, the day stands as a symbol of the continuing struggle for independence and democratic change.
• “BYSOL couriers”: Minsk City Court sentences four Minsk residentsFebruary 17, 2026
  On 17 February 2026, Minsk City Court handed down sentences against four residents of the capital whom the investigation treated as participants in an “extremist formation” — the BYSOL solidarity fund. According to the prosecution’s account, they acted as couriers, receiving and passing on money to other participants in the scheme. BYSOL representatives reject that model. The court imposed on the defendants between two and three years’ imprisonment, substantial fines, and confiscation; according to legal summaries, the… Read more: “BYSOL couriers”: Minsk City Court sentences four Minsk residents
• “Year of the Belarusian Woman” — 2026: Decree No. 1 and the question of political prisonersJanuary 5, 2026
  President of Belarus Alyaksandr Lukashenka signed Decree No. 1 of 1 January 2026, declaring the current year the Year of the Belarusian Woman. In the official framing, the document aims to shape a “national image of the woman as a worker” and to promote women’s role in preserving and developing society. A broad campaign runs in parallel: family, health, media, and public events. The response from… Read more: “Year of the Belarusian Woman” — 2026: Decree No. 1 and the question of political prisoners
• December 2025: repression did not stopDecember 19, 2025
  Even in a month of high-profile pardons, Belarusian human rights defenders continued to record new detentions, searches, and interrogations. According to Viasna’s tallies, December 2025 alone saw more than 80 documented episodes of politically motivated pressure. In parallel, the figures for the whole of 2025 reflect a different order of magnitude — at least 1,254 people who went through the courts on politically motivated criminal charges (this is a minimum estimate: some… Read more: December 2025: repression did not stop
• On 13 December, 123 political prisoners walked free from Belarusian prisonsDecember 17, 2025
  On 13 December 2025, 123 people were released from places of detention in Belarus. Among them were well-known politicians and human rights defenders, foreign nationals, and people whose health in custody had alarmed relatives and rights groups. What happened The releases were officially framed as pardons. In public discussion the episode is most often described as part of a major diplomatic arrangement: talks also covered next steps… Read more: On 13 December, 123 political prisoners walked free from Belarusian prisons