Human rights situation in Belarus. December 2024

Summary:

• Repression and state terror continue to characterize the domestic policy of the Lukashenka totalitarian regime. Anyone suspected of disloyalty to the authorities may be targeted.

• At the end of December 2024, Belarus had 1,265 political prisoners, including 168 women. In December, the human rights community declared 58 people political prisoners. Since the summer of 2020, 3,697 individuals were identified as political prisoners, 680 of whom are women.

• In December, 49 political prisoners were pardoned and released. Viasna HRC emphasizes that, given the conditions created by the regime for political prisoners, such pardons are the only possibility for them to be released earlier than the term determined by their sentence or the discretion of the security services. This is especially important for people from vulnerable groups, including women, people with disabilities and serious chronic diseases, the elderly, and those raising children.

• Several human rights defenders are currently serving sentences in correctional facilities. These include Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski, vice-president of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) Valiantsin Stefanovic, Uladzimir Labkovich, Maria Rabkova, volunteer Andrei Chapiuk, and Human Constanta human rights activist Nasta Loika.

• Multiple individuals imprisoned for political reasons have been held incommunicado for an extended period. Maksim Znak, Viktar Babaryka, Mikalai Statkevich, Siarhei Tsikhanouski, and others have been deprived of contact with the outside world and fellow inmates for over a year. Their situation is in line with the definition of an enforced disappearance, which is a violation of international law.

• In December, the results of the criminal prosecution for November were summarized. The courts considered at least 152 criminal cases, including 8 in special proceedings in the absence of the accused. 41 women were convicted, and half of the defendants (78 people) were convicted by the courts of Minsk city. The Brest Region was the most repressive among the provinces.

• Regular detentions occur throughout Belarus, including in small towns and rural communities. In December, human rights defenders documented 759 instances of reprisals (including criminal and administrative trials), including 454 trials in administrative cases, primarily related to “dissemination of extremist materials.” The majority of these cases were documented in the Brest and Minsk Regions.

• The authorities are continuing to expand the lists of individuals and organizations involved in extremist and terrorist activities, as well as of extremist materials. This creates and sustains the conditions for new attacks on civil society and its representatives. In addition, arbitrary inclusion on the list restricts the rights and freedoms of citizens.

• Viasna human rights defenders still regularly register and document instances of torture and other prohibited treatment during politically motivated criminal investigations, as well as in administrative proceedings. The same applies to inmates in detention facilities.

• The expert mission of the “Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections” campaign, organized by the Belarusian Helsinki Committee and the Viasna Human Rights Center, published a report on the registration process of presidential candidates for the upcoming January 2025 election.

• On December 10, International Human Rights Day, the Warsaw Museum of Free Belarus inaugurated the exhibition Feelings. Drawings by Belarusian Political Prisoners. The exposition featured a collection of artworks created by political prisoners of Belarus in prison. At the exhibition’s opening, prominent cultural figures and human rights activists presented a musical album about imprisonment and repression entitled “Yellow-Labelled.”

• On December 12, Brussels hosted the grand opening of the art installation Unbreakable. This installation was dedicated to political prisoners and human rights defenders Valiantsin Stefanovic, Ales Bialiatski, Uladzimir Labkovich, Maria Rabkova, and volunteer Andrei Chapiuk. The event was inaugurated by the head of the European Parliament delegation on relations with Belarus, Małgorzata Gosiewska; the Viasna human rights activist Maryna Kastylianchanka; and the leader of the Belarusian pro-democracy forces, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. The event was held as part of the Belarus Days in Brussels, a series of events intended to demonstrate the European Union’s solidarity with the people of Belarus.

Politically motivated prosecution. Political prisoners

On December 10, Sviatlana Krutsikava committed suicide. She could not withstand politically motivated pressure, including arrests for distributing “extremist materials,” according to Dissident.by.

In December, a minimum of 759 cases of politically motivated repressions (detentions, searches, etc.) stemming from criminal and administrative prosecution were recorded. The wave of harassment against the LGBTQ+ community has been on the rise in recent months. The wave of arrests and intimidation related to the upcoming election, pressure on relatives of political prisoners, raids, and detentions also continued.

In December, the results of the criminal prosecution for November were summarized. The courts considered at least 152 criminal cases, including 8 in special proceedings in the absence of the accused. 41 women were convicted, and half of the defendants (78 people) were convicted by the courts of Minsk city. The Brest Region was the most repressive among the provinces.

Since 2020, at least 7,759 individuals have been subjected to politically motivated criminal prosecution, and at least 6,553 people have received politically motivated convictions.

58 people were identified as political prisoners in December. As of December 31, a total of 1,265 political prisoners were being held in detention facilities, including 168 women. At least 190 political prisoners have serious health problems.

In December, dozens of political prisoners were released after completing their sentences. Also, 49 political prisoners were pardoned last month, and information about them was only partially disclosed in pro-government media.

Upon release, political prisoners continue to face persecution.

Iryna Palianina was administratively convicted for “receiving foreign gratuitous aid” (Article 24.15 of the Administrative Violations Code). Andrei Tolchyn, who was released on a pardon in September, is currently facing administrative prosecution for the “distribution of extremist materials” (Article 19.11 of the Administrative Violations Code). Aliaksandr Patapau has been held administratively liable for the third time within three months for the “distribution of extremist materials.” Andrei Aliashkevich was tried for “violating parole rules” (Article 25.11 of the Administrative Violations Code).

Political prisoners are subjected to various forms of pressure, including transfers to high-security prisons. Such reports appeared regarding Yahor Lebiadok, Akikhira Hajeuski-Khanada, Aliaksei Navahrodski, and Mikalai Masharski. Other prisoners are confined to a secure housing unit (SHU), such as Uladzimir Kniha and Mikita Starazhenka. Some prisoners are placed in punishment cells, including Dzianis Ivashyn and Andrei Navitski, where they are subjected to inhumane detention conditions.

The repeated placement of inmates in punitive cells and secure housing units frequently leads to the filing of additional criminal charges against political prisoners. They are persecuted for persistent disobedience to the prison administration (Article 411 of the Criminal Code). The charges are based on the totality of previous disciplinary penalties. In December, these charges were brought against political prisoner Elisei Kuzniatsou and against Uladzimir Kniha, who has been held incommunicado. Ihar Karnei, a political prisoner, has been sentenced to an additional eight months of imprisonment.

According to the available information, political prisoners Andrei Navitski (since April 2024) and Mikalai Bankou (since December 2023) have been held in the incommunicado regime without any contact with the outside world. In the current conditions, this is a form of torture and contains signs of enforced disappearance. This form of pressure is also applied to Mikalai Statkevich, Maksim Znak, Ihar Losik, Siarhei Tsikhanouski, Viktar Babaryka, Aliaksandr Frantskevich, and Uladzimir Kniha. Maria Kalesnikava remains in incommunicado mode after her father’s visit interrupted more than 600 days of no communication with the outside world and no information about her. 

Persecution of human rights defenders

On the occasion of Human Rights Day, Viasna prepared an article about the forms of persecution of human rights defenders in Belarus: equating human rights activism with extremism, politically motivated prosecution, criminalization of volunteer work, and assistance to victims of human rights violations.

Maria Rabkova and Andrei Chapiuk have been held captive for a period exceeding four years in connection with their human rights activities. Similarly, Nobel Peace Prize laureates Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovic, and Uladzimir Labkovich have been behind bars for over three years. Nasta Loika, a human rights activist working with Human Constanta, has spent two years in prison. Vital Chopik, who was convicted for attending courts in politically motivated cases, has been in captivity for more than half a year.

Lack of fair trial in politically motivated cases

During the month of December, up to 150 politically motivated sentences were handed down. Belarusian courts persist in their role as instruments of repression, issuing politically motivated sentences and disregarding allegations of torture and ill-treatment of defendants. 

For instance, on December 23, the Viciebsk Regional Court sentenced Aliaksandr Randarenka, who had been accused of defamation and severely beaten during detention, to four years of imprisonment. The court’s press release does not indicate any instance of mistreatment of the detainee.

Judicial appeals remain ineffective. Appeals courts uphold politically motivated convictions; challenging a conviction on appeal can significantly increase the sentence.

The Belarusian authorities continue to actively use special and in absentia procedures to prosecute pro-democracy activists and opponents of the authorities. 

For example, a criminal case against politician Vadzim Prakopieu was opened for the third time under special proceedings. Uladzimir Ramanenka’s libel trial in absentia was held in closed session.

On December 16, European Union sanctions were imposed on 11 Belarusian judges for politically motivated rulings: Vera Filanchuk, Iryna Pradun, Vital Sinila, Vadzim Mazol, Nina Shastak, Iryna Maiko, Vasil Biahun, Yauhen Brehan, Aliaksandr Mokharau, Alesia Osipava and Viktar Novik were included in the sanctions list. 

There has been no let-up in the pressure on lawyers who defend people facing politically motivated charges. 141 lawyers were reportedly disbarred for political reasons. At least 88 lawyers faced politically motivated harassment, and at least 23 faced arbitrary detention. Six lawyers are imprisoned on politically motivated charges: Maksim Znak, Aliaksandr Danilevich, Anastasiya Lazarenka, Vital Brahinets, Yuliya Yurhilevich, and Aliaksei Barodka.

The aforementioned EU sanctions also affected the leadership of the Bar Association: “In his role as Chairman of the Belarusian Republican Bar Association, Aliaksei Shvakau has been leading and shaping the Belarusian Republican Bar Association policy of systemic repression against lawyers who represent clients in politically motivated cases or who speak out against abuses by the Lukashenko regime. In his former role as chairman of the Minsk City Bar Association, he also targeted lawyers representing clients in politically motivated cases. He is therefore responsible for the repression of civil society and democratic opposition and activities that undermine the rule of law in Belarus.”

Torture, cruel, inhuman, degrading treatment 



On December 3, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Viasna reminded that at least 11 political prisoners with disabilities are imprisoned in Belarus. Aliaksandr Kisel, who psychiatrists have monitored since he was born, has a disability. He was sent for compulsory treatment in a psychiatric hospital. Aksana Liaushova has a medical condition that restricts her mobility and renders her unable to move independently. She was sentenced to two years in a correctional facility. Architect Aliaksei Paretski, artist Kanstantsin Prusau (cousin of Siarhei Franchuk, representative of the Kastus Kalinouski Regiment), and Uladzimir Hundar (activist and local historian from Baranavičy, who is missing a leg) are living with disabilities. The latter was sentenced to 20 years in prison. In 2024, a series of pardons resulted in the release of several individuals with disabilities.

Since 2020, Viasna human rights defenders have registered more than 1,850 survivors of torture and other prohibited treatment. Human rights defenders persist in urging the documentation of torture and other severe human rights violations in Belarus to ensure accountability and bring those responsible for arbitrary repression to justice. In a video by Viasna, Yaraslau, sentenced to three years of restricted freedom for taking part in Belarus’s largest protest march, shared his experiences of torture and ill-treatment during his detention on August 9-10, 2020, as well as during subsequent detentions in 2021-2022.

Prolonged confinement in SHU or punishment cells continues to be used as a form of pressure on political prisoners, with disciplinary measures being imposed one after another. Prisoners are usually kept in poorly heated and lit rooms, completely alone and isolated. According to reports from December, political prisoner Mikalai Bankou had been held in a punishment cell for nine months and in incommunicado mode for a year. Extended detention in a punitive isolation cell under current conditions—without access to exercise, work, meaningful activities, or contact with the outside world—constitutes cruel and inhuman treatment, amounting to torture.

Viasna has compiled a significant number of testimonies from former prisoners who have endured the repercussions of egregious sanitary violations within detention facilities. These testimonies include the presence of parasitic insects and rodents, constituting a gross violation of international standards for prisoner detention.

Forced labor

Work in Belarusian penitentiaries is called forced labor, as prisoners are usually assigned to heavy and dirty work, while the administration of penitentiary institutions overlooks safety violations. Payment for work performed is used almost entirely to cover the food and utilities charged to inmates. The Criminal Executive Code stipulates that all convicts must work while serving their sentences. The only exceptions are for retirees, people with disabilities, and pregnant women. Refusal to work is a “malicious violation of internal regulations” and is punishable by placement in segregation and possibly a new criminal case under Article 411 of the Criminal Code. In this article, Viasna collected testimonies of former prisoners.

Harassment of journalists and media workers

As of December 30, 45 journalists and media workers were imprisoned, a significant increase of nine additional repressed media workers since last month.

Journalist Siarhei Skulavets, who used to work for Belsat TV, reported that his relatives were searched again. In the summer of 2023, he left Belarus, fearing persecution for his professional activities. The charges and the reason for the search remained unknown, but the journalist was of interest to the special services.

On December 10, 2024, Judge of the Minsk City Court Vera Halaukova sentenced the political prisoner journalist Volha Radzivonava to four years in prison. She was accused of “libeling A. Lukashenka” and “insulting” him, “discrediting the Republic of Belarus,” as well as “inciting other forms of social enmity or discord.” The arbitrary reprisals were due to a series of articles in Die Tageszeitung, the content of which did not meet the criteria for restrictions on freedom of expression according to generally accepted standards, nor did it warrant criminal prosecution or imprisonment.

On December 12, it was reported that at the beginning of the month, mass detentions of workers and journalists from the liquidated private newspaper Intex-press occurred in Baranavičy. Seven individuals have been detained under Article 361-4 of the Criminal Code (promoting extremist activity). Following the 2020 election, the Intex-press editorial staff encountered various challenges, including website censorship, searches, financial penalties, and the confiscation of equipment.

On December 11, the Škloŭ District Court held a trial for Ihar Karnei, a political prisoner, journalist, and blogger who was sentenced to three years in prison in March 2024. Judge Aliaksandr Tarakanau found Ihar guilty of persistent disobedience to the prison administration (Part 1, Article 411 of the Criminal Code) and sentenced him to eight additional months of imprisonment, as RFE/RL Belarus reported. It has been confirmed that the Škloŭ Correctional Facility No. 17 administration has placed the journalist in the Secure Housing Unit on multiple occasions. Consequently, he was sentenced for violations for which the administration has already reprimanded him.

On September 26, 2024, the Court of Pinsk and Pinsk District found journalist Yauhen Nikalayevich guilty under part 1 of Article 342 of the Criminal Code (organizing, preparing, or actively participating in actions that grossly violate public order). He was sentenced to one and a half years in prison. Judge Yauhenia Melnik considered the case.

In 2020, Yauhen Nikalayevich, as a video correspondent for Media-Polesye, covered the protests against electoral fraud in Pinsk. The journalist did not participate in the protests; he was on an editorial assignment, documenting the events through photography and video. On August 10, 2020, Yauhen Nikalayevich was detained and physically assaulted while carrying out his professional duties.

Violation of the freedom of peaceful assembly. Suppression of freedom of expression

Freedom of peaceful assembly and expression continues to be under attack in Belarus, where protesters and dissidents are arbitrarily prosecuted for criminal and administrative offenses, often with serious violations of fair trial standards.

The UN Human Rights Committee reviewed the cases of 18 applicants who were detained and charged under Article 23.34 of the Administrative Violations Code (participation in unauthorized mass events) and determined that the Republic of Belarus had violated the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Committee finds that sanctioning applicants for peaceful protest violated their rights under Articles 19 and 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Viansa HRC interviewed Iryna Hryshchuk, one of the applicants, to discuss the motivations behind her actions.

Article 130 of the Criminal Code (incitement of racial, national, religious, or other social enmity or discord) has been utilized by the regime as a tool to combat dissent since 2020. Article 130 of the Criminal Code addresses cases primarily involving online statements, including publications of various content that criticize the regime and negative remarks about representatives of the authorities. It also encompasses comments made on social media and in public chat rooms and the transfer of information about law enforcement and officials to protest structures. However, sometimes, this article is used more broadly. Human rights activist Nasta Loika and artist Ales Pushkin were also tried under the same article, for a report and art, respectively. In Belarus, 650 people have been convicted under this article, including 106 women. In this article, Viasna reports on who and what is being prosecuted for “incitement to other forms of social discord.”

On November 22, Hrodna Regional Court in the building of Kastryčnicki District Court of Hrodna considered the criminal case against political prisoner Dzmitry Holub under three criminal articles: part 1 of Article 130 (incitement to other forms of social discord), part 1 of Article 368 (insulting Lukashenka), part 1 of Article 342 (active participation in actions that grossly violate public order). Judge Dzmitry Bubenchyk sentenced the political prisoner to four years in prison. According to the prosecution’s account, from November 2019 to January 2024, Dzmitry disseminated comments via Telegram chats and his YouTube channel, addressing law enforcement, the Russian military, journalists, government officials, and Lukashenka. He was also accused of participating in a protest in 2020.

According to the Mayday Team, Viasna’s Mahilioŭ branch, on October 2, the Krasnapollie District Court of Mahilioŭ sentenced local resident Aliaksandr Kireyeu to one year of imprisonment for “insulting Aliaksandr Lukashenka” (Article 368 of the Criminal Code). The basis for criminal prosecution was that, in June 2024, Kireyeu “used inappropriate language to express his negative assessment of the personality of the President of the Republic of Belarus” in the presence of officers from the Krasnapollie District Department of Internal Affairs and the Krasnapollie District Department of Compulsory Enforcement. The trial was presided over by Judge Yauhenia Krautsova.

After 2020, some Belarusians expressed their dissent by showing disrespect for the state symbols imposed by the Lukashenka regime following the fraudulent 1996 “referendum” that replaced the constitutional symbols. Actions included tearing down red-green flags from buildings, breaking their poles, or making critical comments about the state flag. The authorities qualify such actions as “desecration of state symbols.” Over the past four years, at least 211 people have been convicted under Article 370 of the Criminal Code. The maximum penalty for this crime is three years of imprisonment. Viasna also reported on the prosecution of Belarusians for “desecration of state symbols.”

Persecution masquerading as combating extremism and terrorism

In Belarus, the de facto authorities persist in suppressing extremism, broadly defining it to include expressions of alternative viewpoints and independent associations of people.

Civil society organizations, media outlets, and online resources and mobile applications used by civil society are recognized by the authorities as extremist formations. This, in turn, is a reason to prosecute them under criminal law. In December, the Ministry of Interior expanded the List of Organizations, Formations, and Individuals Involved in Extremist Activities by including six new entries and updating two existing ones. That is twice as many as in November. The additions include the news agency Pozirk, the Telegram channels “Homieĺ – Stary Aerodrom – Chat” and “Free Žlobin,” the mobile application “Belarus ID,” the “Volnyia Kupalautsy” channel, as well as two previously listed popular media outlets among Belarusians: Zerkalo.io and KYKY.ORG.

The Belarusian Association of Journalists reports that the most common criminal charge against media representatives was “creation or participation in an extremist formation” under part 1 or 3 of Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code. It was used on at least 21 occasions.

Individuals convicted on political grounds, that is, for committing crimes of an “extremist nature” (as defined by the Law on Countering Extremism, an act that human rights activists have criticized), are included in the List of Belarusian Citizens, Foreign Nationals, or Stateless Persons Involved in Extremist Activities by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The list is regularly updated, with the most recent update occurring weekly, every Friday. For December, 93 people were added to the list, with an average of 23 people added to the list per week.

The following individuals have been added to the list: Homieĺ-based pro-government provocateur Yauhen Katliarou; foreman of OAO Hrodnazhylstroy Dzmitry Holub; and Brest resident Ala Dziasiatsik.

The KGB continues to update the list of persons involved in terrorist activities. The list includes Yury Averkau, Dzmitry Sidarenka, Uladzimir Alisiyevich, Andrei Valakhanovich, Jerzy Grigencza, Viktoria Veras, Tsikhan Klukach, and Russian citizens Eduard Koshetian and Oleg Kovrigin. The list of individuals designated as “terrorists” currently includes 517 individuals. Among them are citizens of Belarus who are being targeted for their political activities, as well as one citizen of Latvia, one of Germany, three citizens of the Russian Federation, and four citizens of Ukraine. The authorities impose financial restrictions on individuals listed as “terrorists,” ostensibly to combat terrorism. In practice, this results in the deprivation of commissary money for political prisoners under “terrorist” articles. 

The Ministry of Information continues to censor independent information by adding Telegram channels, YouTube channels, TikTok accounts, and Internet pages, including personal pages, to the List of Extremist Materials. The process of recognizing materials as extremist involves four conditional stages. First, state bodies tasked with combating extremism, such as the Ministry of Internal Affairs or the Ministry of Information, submit a request to special commissions. Second, these commissions—republican, regional, or Minsk City—evaluate the materials for signs of extremism. Third, after the evaluation, the case is forwarded to the court. Finally, the court issues the final decision. The proceedings are closed, and the content of the material is not disclosed. Following the trial, the Ministry of Information enters the titles into the republican list of extremist materials.

The courts and commissions do not thoroughly examine and evaluate materials to determine whether they contain true extremism. Recognizing materials as extremist is an ongoing challenge due to lacking specific and exhaustive grounds. This is primarily due to the broad wording in the legislation and destructive political will. Over the past four years, with a few exceptions, only sources of information not aligned with the regime have been added to the list. In December, 129 court decisions were made to classify information materials as extremist, with only five of these targeting resources featuring neo-Nazi content.

In December, the page on “X”—managed by Oleksandra Matviychuk, the head of the Ukrainian public organization Center for Civil Liberties, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022—was identified as “extremist material.” Another piece of material flagged was the Telegram chat “Minsk, all about you CHAT,” which has almost 1,600 participants, most of whom are ordinary schoolchildren. Political issues are rarely discussed, but you can see young people’s messages ridiculing Lukashenka. The Instagram page “belarus_tbilisi_krakov,” the Facebook pages “Sweda Ales,” “Ihar Maslouski,” the Vkontakte page “Igor Maslovski,” and the TikTok page “Kuzma Ryzhy,” X pages “zefiryk,” “Kuzma Ryzhy,” and TikTok page “kukuha98” were also added to the list of extremist materials. 

Maintaining a register of extremist materials enables the authorities to prosecute readers and users of these materials under Article 19.11 of the Administrative Violations Code (distribution, production, storage, or transportation of information products that incite or propagate extremist activities), which stipulates the sanction of a fine or administrative detention, along with the confiscation of the “means of committing the violation.” The latter term typically refers to a cell phone.  

On December 20, the Čyhunačny District Court of Viciebsk considered the case of Siarhei Prashkevich, a well-known Instagram blogger in Viciebsk. His account boasts close to 50,000 followers, and he engages in street polls and organizes drawings for subscribers. It is known that Siarhei was previously persecuted for participating in peaceful protests. 

On December 19, the Viciebsk District Court considered yet another case against 70-year-old Aliaksandr Patapau. 

Individuals who demonstrate allegiance to the authorities are also subject to the effects of overt censorship. For instance, on December 13, the court found Zhanna Valevich, an employee of the Liepieĺ dairy-canning factory, guilty of “distribution of extremist materials” (part 2 of Article 19.11 of the Administrative Violations Code) and “unauthorized picketing” (part 1 of Article 24.23 of the Administrative Violations Code). According to pro-governmental district newspapers, she strategically scheduled her “silver wedding” to coincide with People’s Unity Day. 

Prosecutions for “extremist offenses” are ongoing. Among the points of contention are criticisms of state symbols, comments regarding Lukashenka and special services, participation in protests in 2020, and other instances of expressing alternative opinions. 

The authorities are expanding the persecution of political opponents and dissidents under the guise of combating extremism beyond the borders of the Republic of Belarus by issuing convictions in absentia of people forced to leave the Republic of Belarus due to the threat of persecution. For instance, on December 13, the Brest Region Court sentenced art manager Aliaksandr Chakhouski to seven years in prison and a fine of $9,770.