Monitoring of the situation with freedom of association and the status of civil society organizations in the Republic of Belarus June 2025
Repressions against Belarusian civil society organizations and individuals, both within the country and those in exile, continue.
Over a hundred representatives of civil society organizations, including members of trade unions and religious groups, remain imprisoned. The practice of recognizing the information resources of such organizations, as well as the personal pages of their leaders and members, as extremist materials, and the organizations themselves as extremist formations, continues.
Authorities continue to exert pressure on activists and representatives of civil society who are forced to remain abroad. During the reporting period, there were recorded cases of activists receiving messages via various messengers, including Facebook and Telegram, with proposals to cooperate from Belarusian security services.
The registration of new non-profit organizations within Belarus remains selective and rare. According to Lawtrend’s data, in the first half of 2025, around 15 new NGOs were registered in three organizational and legal forms: non-governmental institutions, foundations, and public associations. Until July 5, 2025, the campaign for the re-registration of religious organizations is ongoing.
The practice of targeted forced liquidation of non-profit organizations remains. During the reporting period, two cases of forced liquidation of non-governmental institutions were recorded. The process of voluntary self-dissolution also continues. As of the end of June 2025, at least 752 non-profit organizations had decided to liquidate themselves. The total losses in the civil society sector since the post-election period of 2020 amount to no fewer than 1,944 institutionalized non-profit organizations (public associations, trade unions, political parties, foundations, non-governmental institutions, and associations).
The Belarusian Orthodox Church and Belaya Rus signed a cooperation agreement based on a two-year roadmap. The main areas of focus include educational outreach among the population and the promotion of traditional family values.
It has been reported that a draft law “On Volunteering” is planned to be included in the legislative agenda for 2026.
Registration of non-profit organizations
According to Lawtrend, in the first half of 2025, at least 15 non-profit organizations were registered in three organizational-legal forms: non-governmental institutions, public associations, and foundations. These include 10 non-governmental institutions, 1 foundation, and 4 public associations. Of the 10 registered institutions, 4 are institutions of supplementary education, 3 are animal protection organizations, 2 are sports-related, and 1 is a charitable organization. The registered foundation is focused on supporting and developing creative initiatives. Among the 4 public associations, 2 are sports-related, 1 is an animal protection association (feline-focused), and 1 is a professional association. Interestingly, all the non-governmental institutions were registered in the regions, whereas the foundation and most public associations are based (have their legal address) in Minsk.
Registered Non-Profit Organizations – First Half of 2025
| No. | Legal Form | Name | Region | Registration Date |
| 1 | Institution | Social and Charitable Establishment ‘Time to Help’ | Viciebsk Region | 13.02.2025 |
| 2 | Institution | Private Charitable Establishment ‘Animal House Pesokot’ | Homieĺ Region | 11.03.2025 |
| 3 | Institution | Private Animal Protection Establishment ‘Murkoshka’ | Homieĺ Region | 28.03.2025 |
| 4 | Institution | Charitable Establishment for Homeless Animals ‘Fluffy Joy’ | Viciebsk Region | 12.02.2025 |
| 5 | Institution | Private Sports Establishment ‘Intellectual Martial Arts Center’ | Homieĺ Region | 28.03.2025 |
| 6 | Institution | Private Sports Establishment ‘Fitness and Sports Club Elita’ | Minsk Region | 13.06.2025 |
| 7 | Institution | Private Adult Education Establishment ‘BiBOODi Training and Retraining Center’ | Viciebsk Region | 30.06.2025 |
| 8 | Institution | Private Adult Education Establishment ‘Aesthetics of Knowledge’ | Viciebsk Region | 18.06.2025 |
| 9 | Institution | Educational Establishment ‘Training and Retraining Center Queen of Massage’ | Brest Region | 20.03.2025 |
| 10 | Institution | Private Adult Education Establishment ‘Brest Driver Training and Retraining Center’ | Brest Region | 22.04.2025 |
| 11 | Foundation | Local Foundation for Creative Initiatives Development ‘Terra Sacrum’ | Minsk City | 28.03.2025 |
| 12 | Public Association | Public Feline Association ‘Club-MisterKot’ | Minsk City | 23.05.2025 |
| 13 | Public Association | International Public Association «Eurasian Society of Gynecologic Oncologists ‘OncoGyn» | Minsk Region | 29.05.2025 |
| 14 | Public Association | Youth Public Association ‘Sports Club Rome’ | Minsk City | 15.05.2025 |
| 15 | Public Association | Sports Public Association «Hockey Club ‘Aqualit'» | Minsk City | 24.04.2025 |
Liquidation of non-profit organizations
The re-registration of NGO’s continues to be selective. During the monitoring period, it was reported that a decision was made to forcibly liquidate two non-governmental institutions: the Social and Charitable Institution “Old Cat” and the Private Educational Institution “Training Center ‘School of Beauty ‘Fifth Element”.
The re-registration of religious organizations is ongoing. Organizations that do not complete re-registration by July 5, 2025, will be subject to liquidation through the courts, and their activities will be considered illegal.
Non-profit organizations continue to make decisions to self-liquidate. During the reporting period, at least four such cases were recorded: three were public associations, and one was a foundation. As before, the main reasons for voluntary self-dissolution remain widespread repression, an unfavorable legal environment, and pressure on civil society, including specific organizations, their leaders, members, and staff.
As of June 30, 2025, according to the monitoring conducted by Lawtrend, 1,192 non-profit organizations have been recorded as being in the process of forced liquidation. This includes cases where the registration authorities filed lawsuits for liquidation or where organizations were forcibly removed from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities and Individual Entrepreneurs. Additionally, at least 752 non-profit organizations (including public associations, foundations, institutions, and a political party) have been voluntarily dissolved by the decision of their members or founders.
Administrative and criminal prosecution of the leadership and members of civil society organizations, as well as other forms of pressure on civil society organizations
In connection with the performance of their professional activities, participation in civil society organizations, and the manifestation of civic activism, at least 5 representatives of human rights organizations, dozens of representatives of civil society organizations and religious organizations, and 27 representatives of trade unions and the labor movementcontinue to serve prison sentences.
During the monitoring period, the Republican List of Extremist Materials (the document is available in Russian) was updated to include informational content of the community “БЕЛАРУСКІ МОЛАДЗЕВЫ ХАБ “Belarusian Youth Hub” on X; the content on the website «Офис по образованию. Для новой Беларуси» (“Office for Education. For a New Belarus”), and the Instagram account “belhumanrightshouse”.
The practice of designating the informational materials of diaspora organizations as extremist has become widespread. During the monitoring period, materials posted on the «Беларусы Латвii» (“Belarusians of Latvia”) Telegram channel, the «Беларусы Вiльнi» (“Belarusians of Vilnius”) group on Facebook, and on the web page of “MARA VERENIGING BELARUSEN IN NEDERLAND”, and «MARA – Беларусы Нідэрландаў» (“MARA – Belarusians of the Netherlands”) on Facebook group, as well as the «Беларусы Чэхii/ Belorusove v CR/ Belarusians in the Czech Republic» on Facebook group, were classified as extremist materials.
As of the end of June, 296 entities were included in the List of organizations, formations, and individual entrepreneurs involved in extremist activities. During the monitoring period, the signature collection project Petitions.by and the educational project Adu.place were designated as extremist formations. In addition, the KGB updated the list of individuals associated with the so-called “extremist formation” Honest People (Честные люди).
A search was conducted in the apartment of Ihar Barysau, the chairman of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada), which had been designated as an extremist formation in the previous monitoring period.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office of the Brest Region, a criminal case was submitted to the court against a Brest resident accused of participating in an extremist formation. According to the case materials, no later than October 2023, the accused joined a group of citizens united under the name “Belarusian Association of Journalists”, which was designated as an extremist formation by a decision of the KGB on February 28, 2023.
Legislation and Legislative Initiatives
By Resolution No. 319 of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus dated June 10, 2025 (the main provisions entered into force on June 14), the procedure was amended for determining the list of organizations and individuals, including individual entrepreneurs, involved in terrorist activities; for appealing a decision to be included in such a list; and for communicating this list to entities carrying out financial operations and to the financial monitoring authority.
The Resolution also expands the grounds for inclusion in the lists of organizations, formations, individual entrepreneurs, as well as citizens of the Republic of Belarus, foreign citizens, or stateless persons involved in extremist activities, by adding a list of extremist-related crimes.
Previously, inclusion in the lists was based on «actions» defined in the Law of the Republic of Belarus on Countering Extremism. In its resolution, the Council of Ministers also specified a list of articles of the Criminal Code under which a conviction would serve as grounds for inclusion in the «extremist lists.» This list includes more than 50 articles. Additionally, other crimes outlined in the Special Part of the Criminal Code are also considered if committed based on racial, national, or religious hatred or enmity; political or ideological hostility; or hostility or enmity toward any social group.
During a meeting of the Council of the House of Representatives, it was announced that deputies had initiated the inclusion of a draft law “On Volunteering” in the 2026 legislative drafting plan.