January 2024
The Operational and Analytical Center has decided to suspend the delegation of the domain name Baj.by to the Belarusian Association of Journalists – its owner – allegedly due to identified violations.
A number of informational materials by non-profit organizations have been labeled as extremist, including those of:
- Honest Teachers of Belarus,
- Nation of Leaders,
- the Belarusian Sports Solidarity Foundation (BSSF), and others.
The following have been recognized as extremist formations:
- the initiative “Free Belarusian University” (“Volny Belaruski Universitet”),
- the project “KOTOS: Local Self-Government”,
- the initiative INeedHelpBy (a social project providing food assistance to those affected by political repression and facing severe financial hardship).
Following the recognition of the INeedHelpBy initiative as extremist, the KGB conducted mass searches, interrogations, and detentions of relatives of political prisoners and former political prisoners. Criminal cases have been initiated under Article 361-2 of the Criminal Code (financing of extremist activity) and Article 361-1 (participation in extremist formations).
Amendments to the Republic of Belarus Law No. 125-Z “On Physical Culture and Sports” have come into force. Under these amendments, activities related to the development of physical culture and sports, including by non-profit organizations, without state accreditation are considered illegal entrepreneurial activity and are subject to administrative liability.
969 non-profit organizations in Belarus are currently in the process of forced liquidation, and 564 NGOs have made the decision to voluntarily dissolve.
February 2024
The Investigative Committee has initiated a criminal case against representatives and participants of the initiative “Personnel Reserve for the New Belarus”, which has been recognized as an extremist formation, under Part 3 of Article 361-1 (creation of or participation in an extremist formation).
The Investigative Committee has initiated a criminal case against representatives and participants of the initiative “Personnel Reserve for the New Belarus”, which has been recognized as an extremist formation, under Part 3 of Article 361-1 (creation of or participation in an extremist formation).
More than 100 administrative proceedings under Part 2 of Article 24.15 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (use of foreign gratuitous aid for terrorist or other extremist activities or other actions prohibited by law) are known to have been initiated in connection with the INeedHelpBy initiative case.
By court decision, the activities of several sports public associations have been suspended.
Administrative and criminal persecution of public activists residing in Belarus continues. At least 8 Belarusian human rights defenders are known to be listed in the wanted database of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Six members of the organization of former security officers BYPOL, which has been labeled as a terrorist organization, have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from 11 to 25 years and fines totaling more than 350,000 euros.
981 non-profit organizations in Belarus are in the process of forced liquidation, and 582 NGOs have made the decision to voluntarily dissolve.
March 2024
The deadline established in accordance with the new requirements of the Law “On Public Associations” for making amendments to the charters of public associations has expired. As a result, the number of republican public associations has significantly decreased (some changed their status to local, or documents were submitted for liquidation due to non-compliance with legal requirements).
A number of informational materials by non-profit organizations have been labeled as extremist, including those of:
- BYSOL,
- Belarusian PEN,
- the Resource Center of the Belarusian Council for Culture,
- Respect-Protect-Fulfill,
- Dysydent BY,
- the Belarusian Medical Solidarity Foundation,
- and BAJ (Belarusian Association of Journalists).
The Union of Poles in Belarus and the “People’s Embassies” initiatives have been labeled as extremist formations.
The Investigative Committee has announced the initiation of a criminal case against representatives of the “People’s Embassies” under Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code (creation of or participation in an extremist formation). Searches have been conducted throughout Belarus in connection with this case against activists of the Belarusian diaspora.
Due to his cooperation with the Belarusian Association of Journalists, which has been labeled as an extremist formation, journalist Ihar Karney has been sentenced to three years in a general-regime penal colony under Part 3 of Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code (participation in an extremist formation with the intent to commit extremist crimes).
The Investigative Committee has begun special proceedings (in absentia) against Olga Velichko, former director of the Grodno Children’s Hospice, under eight articles of the Criminal Code, including Article 193-1 (organization and participation in the activities of a public association for which a final decision on liquidation by a competent state authority has been issued).
A decree has been signed amending the procedure for the provision and use of gratuitous (sponsorship) aid, which operates under Decree No. 300 of July 1, 2005 (the changes take effect on September 30, 2024). The decree significantly expands the purposes for which domestic gratuitous aid may be used. At the same time, it does not eliminate previous purposes and introduces new restrictive norms concerning the receipt of such aid.
997 non-profit organizations in Belarus are in the process of forced liquidation, and 604 NGOs have made the decision to voluntarily dissolve.
April 2024
Criminal prosecution continues for money transfers to solidarity funds, as well as for assisting political prisoners and their families.
A criminal case has been initiated against the head of one of the sports public associations.
A number of informational materials by non-profit organizations have been labeled as extremist, including the Country for Life Foundation, the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, the initiatives “Palitvyazynka”, “Human Rights Lawyers”, and others. The “politzek.me” initiative, the Belarusian Medical Solidarity Foundation, and its Polish structural subdivision “White Gowns” were labeled as extremist formations.
1,003 non-profit organizations in Belarus are in the process of forced liquidation, and 619 NGOs have made the decision to voluntarily dissolve.
May 2024
Administrative and criminal prosecution of representatives of civil society and religious organizations continues. A criminal case has been initiated under Part 2 of Article 361-4 of the Criminal Code (facilitating extremist activity) against Ihar Sluchak, founder of initiatives promoting the Belarusian language.
Another criminal case has been initiated against activist Dzmitry Dashkevich, who is currently in detention, under Part 2 of Article 411 of the Criminal Code (Malicious disobedience to the lawful demands of the administration of a correctional institution executing a sentence of imprisonment).
The practice of blocking websites of organizations and initiatives continues. By order of the prosecutor of the Brest Region, access to the website for conscripts povestka.org has been restricted. By order of the prosecutor of the Minsk Region, access to the online resource “Student Opinion” (“Studenckaja Dumka”, domain name – dumka.me) has been restricted.
A number of informational materials by non-profit organizations have been classified as extremist, including the Belarusian Popular Front, the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada), the organization “Dapamoga”, and others.
“Volunteers. Homiel”, “Doctors for Truth and Justice”, and all 12 lists of candidates for the Coordination Council have been labeled as extremist formations.
The presidential administration newspaper “SB.BY / Belarus Today” has published at least five articles discrediting Belarusians who have been forced into exile and continue their activism, including fundraising activities.
Ivan Kravtsov, executive secretary of the Coordination Council and a member of the organizing committee for the creation of the party “Razam”, has been sentenced in absentia to 11 years in a high-security penal colony under several criminal articles, including Part 1 of Article 361-1 (creation of or participation in an extremist formation).
The Investigative Committee has reported that more than 100 people (and the list had been growing) have been recognized as suspects in a criminal case under Article 361-1 (creation of or participation in an extremist formation) and Article 369-1 (discrediting the Republic of Belarus) due to participation in street protests in various countries. It also reported the initiation of criminal cases against 257 individuals residing abroad, described as “representatives of extremist organizations” who have allegedly “begun competing for grants and organized pseudo-elections.”
1,033 non-profit organizations in Belarus are in the process of forced liquidation, and 632 NGOs have made the decision to voluntarily dissolve.
June 2024
A whole series of trials in absentia has concluded. Former political prisoner and human rights defender Leanid Sudalenka, previously sentenced to 3 years in a general-regime colony and having fully served his term, has now been sentenced in absentia to five years in a high-security prison and a fine of 650 base units under Parts 1 and 2 of Article 361-4 of the Criminal Code (facilitating extremist activity).
Franak Viacorka, chief advisor to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, has been sentenced in absentia to 20 years in a reinforced-regime penal colony and a fine of 1,500 base units (amounting to 60,000 Belarusian rubles) under 9 articles of the Criminal Code, including Parts 1 and 2 of Article 361-1 (creation of or participation in an extremist formation, including repeated offense). A civil lawsuit has been filed against Viacorka “in the interests of the state” to recover over 30.9 million rubles in property damage “caused by unlawful actions.”
Participants in the “Rudabelskaya Pokazukha” project — Andrei Pauk, Olga Pauk, Margarita Levchuk, Alexander Chakhouski, Ilya Solenkov, and Vladislav Novozhilov — were sentenced in absentia to prison terms ranging from six to twelve years, with fines from 500 to 5,000 base units. (Exception: Alexander Chakhouski was initially sentenced to three months’ arrest, but in December 2024 was re-sentenced to seven years in a colony and a fine of 32,000 rubles.) The sentences were issued under 14 articles of the Criminal Code, including leadership of an extremist formation (Part 3 of Article 361-3); participation in an extremist formation (Part 1 of Article 361-1); collection of funds or other property by any means for the deliberate support of extremist activity by a group acting in collusion (Part 2 of Article 361-2).
A number of NGO’s informational products have been labeled as extremist materials, including the Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House, the initiatives “Right to Defense”, “Help for Conscripts of the Republic of Belarus”, and others.
Six media and civil initiatives have been labeled as extremist formations, including the civil organization “Belarus 2.0 Robimo Razam”, registered in the Unified State Register of Enterprises and Organizations of Ukraine. By order of the prosecutor of the Mogilev region, access has been restricted to the website of initiative “INeedHelpBY” labeled as the extremist formation (domain name: ineedhelpby.org).
1,061 non-profit organizations in Belarus are in the process of forced liquidation, and 635 NGOs have made the decision to voluntarily dissolve.
July 2024
Eduard Babaryka, former head of the crowdfunding platforms Ulej and MolaMola, in addition to his 8-year sentence in a reinforced-regime colony, has been sentenced to an additional 2 years of imprisonment under Part 2 of Article 411 of the Criminal Code (malicious disobedience to the administration of the correctional facility).
As part of the so-called criminal case against the “20 analysts of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya”, sentences ranging from 10 to 11.5 years of imprisonment have been issued in absentia, including fines from 1,000 to 40,000 base units, under Part 3 of Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code (participation in an extremist formation and joining such a formation for the purpose of committing an extremist crime).
A number of NGO informational materials have been classified as extremist, including the United Civic Party (UCP), OEEC (Office for European Expertise and Communications), and Legal Initiative.
By order of the prosecutor of the Mogilev region, access has been restricted to the website of the initiative “Belarusian People’s Tribunal” (domain name: tribunal.info), which was created to express the Belarusian people’s opinion about human rights violations in the country. Based on a decision of the Ministry of Information, the website of the Christian project Katolik.life has also been blocked in Belarus.
Starting from July 6, 2024, a campaign for the re-registration of all religious organizations has begun, which will continue until July 5, 2025.
1,086 non-profit organizations in Belarus are in the process of forced liquidation, and 656 NGOs have made the decision to voluntarily dissolve.
August 2024
In the first half of 2024, the activities of 52 public associations and 3 local charitable foundations were inspected in the Minsk region. As of July 1, 2024, a total of 112 public associations and 19 foundations are registered with this authority, of which 8 are in the process of liquidation.
The first guilty verdict under Article 193-1 of the Criminal Code (illegal organization of the activities of a public association, religious organization, or foundation, or participation in such activities) has been issued. This article re-entered the Criminal Code in January 2022. It marks the first conviction in the history of Belarusian criminal law for the continuation of the activities of a non-profit organization after its liquidation.
Human rights defender Uladzimir Khilmanovich was sentenced in absentia to five years in a reinforced-regime colony under Part 3 of Article 361-1 (participation in an extremist formation), and Parts 1 and 2 of Article 361-4 (facilitating extremist activity), with a fine of 1,000 base units (equivalent to 40,000 Belarusian rubles).
Activist and acting chair of the BPF (Belarusian Popular Front) Vadzim Saranchukou was sentenced in absentia to four years of imprisonment and a fine of 24,000 rubles under Parts 1 and 2 of Article 361-4 of the Criminal Code (facilitating extremist activity, committed repeatedly). A number of NGO’s informational materials have been classified as extremist, including the “Mova Nanova Rechytsa” initiative, and “Freedom postcards | Volnyja pashtouki”.
The following have been labeled as extremist formations:
- the Association of Political Prisoners of Belarus,
- the Polish NGO “Freedom and Democracy”,
- the organization “OEEC” (Office for European Expertise and Communications),
- and the civil initiative for resource support for teachers “Adukavanka”.
1,116 non-profit organizations in Belarus are in the process of forced liquidation, and 661 NGOs have made the decision to voluntarily dissolve.
September 2024
In the form of a special procedure (in absentia), the criminal case against human rights defender and “Viasna” member Yelena Maslyukova has begun. She is accused under Parts 1 and 2 of Article 361-4 of the Criminal Code (facilitating extremist activities).
A number of NGO informational materials have been classified as extremist, including Belarusian Hub “New Lands” (Bialoruski Hub “Novaja Ziamia”; Initiatives “Protection of Conscripts’ Rights”, “INeedHelpBY”, and a number of informational resources from civil society organizations.
Belarus Women’s Foundation and Belarusian National Youth Council “RADA” have been labeled as extremist formations.
A wave of mass summonses to the KGB was issued for teachers, both those linked to and not linked to the civil initiative for resource support for teachers “Adukavanka”, which has been labeled as an extremist formation earlier.
On September 30, the new version of the decree from July 1, 2005, No. 300 “On the Provision and Use of Gratuitous (Sponsorship) Assistance” came into force.
1,137 non-profit organizations in Belarus are in the process of forced liquidation, and 666 NGOs have made the decision to voluntarily dissolve.
October 2024
The Investigative Committee (IC) announced that 45 additional Belarusian citizens, who were forced to leave the country, have been recognized as suspects due to their involvement in activities related to extremist formations. These include the “New Belarus” project (the “Platform 2025” initiative) and the initiative “People’s Embassies” and its structural subdivision “Belarusians Abroad”.
A number of NGO informational materials have been classified as extremist, including: the organization “Being active is cool” (“Aktyunymi Być Fajna”), the Belarusian Sports Solidarity Fund, Belarusian associations abroad, including “Belarusian Diaspora Worldwide”, “Belarusian Canadian Alliance”, and “Les Belarusses En France”.
The Educational Initiative “Leadership School”, the women’s project “Girl Power Bel”, the “International Committee for the Investigation of Torture” and the organization “Being active is cool” (“Aktyunymi Być Fajna”) have been labeled as extremist formations.
1,161 non-profit organizations in Belarus are in the process of forced liquidation, and 677 NGOs have made the decision to voluntarily dissolve.
November 2024
Trials continue regarding the relatives of political prisoners, including former prisoners, for allegedly receiving foreign non-profit assistance (violation of the decree of May 25, 2020, No. 3 “On Foreign Non-Profit Assistance”).
A number of NGO informational materials have been classified as extremist, including the Coordinating Council of Belarus, the pismo.be initiative, the Independent Trade Union of Belarus, the Belarusian Social Democrats, Young Christian Democrats, and others.
The “pismo.bel” initiative and “City Garden Maris Mar” have been labeled as extremist formations. Three people listed as being associated with the “pismo.bel” initiative have been detained and placed in the KGB detention center. It is stated that the “City Garden Maris Mar” initiative carries out extremist activities in cooperation with other extremist formations (such as Belarusian National Youth Council “RADA”, “Being active is cool” (“Aktyunymi Być Fajna”), “Neighbors”).
1,170 non-profit organizations in Belarus are in the process of forced liquidation, and 693 NGOs have made the decision to voluntarily dissolve.
December 2024
The former leader of the Belarusian Green Party, which was forced into liquidation in July 2023, Dmitry Kuchuk, has been sentenced to 6 years in prison and a fine of 500 basic units.
A special procedure in absentia has begun against Andrey Stryzhak, the head of BYSOL, and Alexey Leonchik, the leader and founder of the BY_help foundation. An additional five people have been included in the “organized group”. These individuals are charged with 17 articles of the Criminal Code, including Parts 1, 2, and 3 of Article 361-1 (creation of an extremist formation) and Part 2 of Article 361-2 (financing extremist activities).
The state TV channel ONT aired a report discrediting the work of solidarity funds, particularly the BYSOL fund. This is not the first such report aired by this channel.
A criminal case has been initiated against the leadership of the Streamline language school (Private Educational Institution of Additional Education for Adults “Training Center for Qualification Enhancement and Retraining of Personnel “Educational Technologies”), which was ordered for forced liquidation in October 2024, for tax evasion on a particularly large scale (Part 3 of Article 243 of the Criminal Code).
A number of NGO informational materials have been classified as extremist, including the “Budźma” initiative, the World Association of Belarusians “Baćkaŭščyna”, and others.
1,186 non-profit organizations in Belarus are in the process of forced liquidation, and 705 NGOs have made the decision to voluntarily dissolve.