August 2020

The August2020 media project (august2020.info/en) collects and publishes accounts of torture, beatings, and abuse during peaceful post-election protests in Belarus in 2020. People were grabbed, beaten, humiliated, tortured, stuffed into overcrowded cells, doused with freezing cold water, and deprived of food and even air just for taking to the streets and expressing their disagreement with the election outcome. Some of these testimonies served as a basis for lawsuits in international human rights courts.

Torture and abuse in 2020 – story of Ihar K.
2023-04-13

Torture and abuse in 2020 – story of Ihar K.

22 years old, election observer. "The riot police officer threw me back and said, "It's no fun to beat him, he doesn't scream"
“Until the very last moment, I could not believe that Kyiv would be bombed…”
2023-01-24

“Until the very last moment, I could not believe that Kyiv would be bombed…”

Thousands of Belarusians, forced to flee the Lukashenko regime's repression and find a new home in Ukraine, became refugees for the second time because of the Russia-Ukraine war.
“A busload of Ukrainian women defended me”: Artsiom’s story of being refugee twice over
2023-01-19

“A busload of Ukrainian women defended me”: Artsiom’s story of being refugee twice over

Thousands of Belarusians, forced to flee the Lukashenko regime's repression and find a new home in Ukraine, became refugees for the second time because of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Torture and abuse in 2020 – story of Viachka K.
2023-01-16

Torture and abuse in 2020 – story of Viachka K.

33 years old, musician. "They command you to run, but you don't know where, and they laugh and beat you and pass you around from one person to another"
Torture and abuse in 2020 – Ivan’s story
2023-01-12

Torture and abuse in 2020 – Ivan’s story

"Should we take him to the woods or turn him into a cripple?" The reply was: "We don't have much time, so let's make him a cripple!"
Torture and violence in 2020 – Mikita’s story
2023-01-10

Torture and violence in 2020 – Mikita’s story

22 years old, student. "The garage gate was closed, and the only thing that could be heard from behind it was the sound of automatic rifles being reloaded"
Torture and violence in 2020 – Ihar’s story
2023-01-06

Torture and violence in 2020 – Ihar’s story

28 years old, freelancer. "I have decided that I'd rather take to the streets and get hit in the head than be ashamed of sitting everything out at home"
Torture and abuse in 2020 – Aliaksei’s story
2023-01-05

Torture and abuse in 2020 – Aliaksei’s story

25 years old. "We cannot win without a fight, and the situation can't be resolved peacefully anymore"
“Polish border guards didn’t want to let us in”: How Belarusians become refugees twice over
2022-12-30

“Polish border guards didn’t want to let us in”: How Belarusians become refugees twice over

Aksana Dabryyanets and her daughter Valeryia had to flee from the repression of the Belarusian regime to Ukraine in 2021. After the Russia-Ukraine war began, staying in Ukraine became dangerous,…
Torture and abuse in 2020 – story of Aksana D.
2022-12-29

Torture and abuse in 2020 – story of Aksana D.

22 years old, freelancer. "I was told that child protection workers were going to pay us a visit. That's what sent me reeling"
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