political persecution in Belarus
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Viasna
Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski gives final speech in court
The trial in the criminal case against Nobel laureate and chairperson of the Viasna Human Rights Center Ales Bialiatski, his deputy and International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) vice-president Valiantsin…
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Prison sentences for rail guerrillas
Three rail guerrillas from Babruisk were sentenced to prison term: Dzmitry Klimau and Uladzimir Auramtsau received 22 years in a penal colony each, and Yauhen Minkevich was sentenced to 18…
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At least 58 Belarusians detained at border when entering Belarus
The Viasna Human Rights Center tells why law enforcement agencies prosecute Belarusians returning home from abroad, what kinds of sentences the detainees receive, and what conditions people who'd like to…
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Belarusians in exile: Invisible problem
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) estimates that some 200,000 to 500,000 Belarusians were forced to flee the country due to political repression in the wake of the 2020…
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Another criminal case launched against mother of Kalinouski Regiment soldier killed in action
One more criminal case was opened against Natallia Suslava, mother of the deceased Pavel "Volat", for participation in combat operations on the territory of a foreign state.
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Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya “tried” in absentia in Belarus
On January 17, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and other defendants in the Coordination Council case Maryia Maroz, Pavel Latushka, Volha Kavalkova, and Siarhei Dyleuski went on "trial" in absentia. They are charged…
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Sofia Sapega’s request for pardon denied
The political prisoner Sofia Sapega's request for a pardon passed the first stage of the pardon process but was rejected by the commission for pardons under Lukashenko. In May 2022,…
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Rail guerrilla shot in knees during arrest, sentenced to 13 years of imprisonment
Belarusian Vital Melnik, recognized as a political prisoner, was sentenced to 13 years in a maximum security penal colony and property confiscation. In addition, he has to pay a fine…
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Maria Kalesnikava has been in hospital for over one month
According to the information the Viasna Human Rights Center received from other prisoners, Maria is yet to be transferred from the hospital back to the Homel penal colony: "As of…
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Nobel Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski pleads not guilty at sham trial
The trial against Viasna human rights defenders, including the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, commenced on January 5 in Minsk. The defendants face 7 to 12 years of imprisonment.