repression in Belarus
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News
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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News
Belarusian political prisoners in 2022: Infographics
The repressive totalitarian regime in Belarus has been working hard to stamp out any dissent. In 2022, politically motivated detentions and torture continued, new criminal cases were opened, and the…
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News
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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News
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.
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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
Svetlana Alexievich: “We are dealing with Russian fascism, and Belarus is under occupation”
The Nobel Prize laureate in Literature Svetlana Alexievich talked with the Ukrainian Freedom Channel about the war, her new book, and her conversations with Putin's and Lukashenko's supporters. We feature…
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Articles
Family ties from behind bars: Imprisoned Belarusian families
As of December 28, 2022, there are more than 1,400 political prisoners in Belarus. The Viasna Human Rights Center continues telling the stories of people who ended up in prison…
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Articles
“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,…
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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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August 2020
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"