detentions in Belarus
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August 2020
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"
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August 2020
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"
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Articles
“Welcome to Gestapo”: How political prisoners were tortured in Belarus in 2022
The Viasna human rights defenders continue documenting all cases of torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment with the belief that the perpetrators will eventually be brought to justice, and…
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News
Married couple convicted of participating in protest march based on photo from book
Belarusians Darya and Mikhail Sudnik were sentenced to three years of home confinement with penal labor. They were charged with blocking the roadway at one of the 2020 protest marches.…
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Articles
“We understand everything, your cousin died, but you have to serve time”
Relatives of volunteers fighting in the Ukrainian Armed Forces are systematically detained in Belarus. Siarhei Bandarenka ended up in a hospital after being beaten up during interrogation. He managed to…
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Articles
“Political prisoners are treated worse than murderers”
Aksana Kaspiarovich was detained at her workplace in September 2021 in connection with the so-called "Zeltsar case": she made comments on Instagram about the murder of the IT professional Andrei…
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News
Eastern Orthodox priest sentenced to 14 days in jail
Uladzislau Bahamolnikau, a priest of the Eastern Orthodox Church, was detained in Minsk. He was among the priests of the Russian Orthodox Church who made an appeal against Russia's war…
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News
Absurd or reality: one can be detained for speaking Belarusian in Belarus
One has to protect one's rights in our country. This is especially true when the right to use the Belarusian language is concerned as history shows that there will be…
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News
Prison in Zhodzina: overcrowded cells and severe abuse
More than 600 people were arrested in Belarus before and after the referendum, mostly for anti-war protests. A former detainee told Viasna about horrifying conditions in the Zhodzina prison.
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News
Chronicle of repressions in Belarus: Persecution a daily reality
While the war unleashed by Putin with Lukashenko's help rages on, repressions against citizens who openly speak out against the war continue in Belarus.