More than 1,700 politically-motivated convictions last year – Viasna

January 15, Pozirk. Belarusian judges convicted 1,721 people, including 480 women, for political reasons in 2024, the Viasna Human Rights Center said in a new report.
Since the beginning of reprisals in 2020 and until the end of 2024, at least 6,550 were prosecuted, including 1.380 women.
Human rights activists documented 1,265 political prisoners in Belarus in late December, 168 women among them.
Since summer 2020, the human rights community has recognized 3,697 people as political prisoners, including 680 women.
Last year, at least 8,895 people faced various kinds of prosecution-related pressure, such as arrests, interrogations and searches. A quarter of victims were women.
Courts issued at least 5,890 politically-motivated sentences under the Administrative Offenses Code last year.
Human rights activists note that authorities hold political prisoners in particularly harsh conditions, under strict control, imposing unlawful restrictions. Inmates are often deprived of visits and parcels, including medicines. Their correspondence is also restricted.
“More than 10 political prisoners have been held incommunicado. Four political prisoners died in penal colonies and remand centers in 2024,” the report said.
It stated that officers subject political prisoners to forced low-paid labor and strict control beyond the usual supervision upon their release. They additionally limit opponents’ rights by including them in the extremism list.
At the same time, “the courts continue to function as an instrument of repression against defendants in politically motivated administrative, criminal and civil cases,” Viasna said.

Reprisals: propaganda airs interview with jailed RFE/RL reporter ahead of Trump inauguration
- PoliticsEU to allocate funding to Belarusian independent media, rights groupsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Society
- PoliticsRussian MPs vote to allow Belarusians to participate in local electionsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsBundestag’s far-right members question German government about Belarus-linked expendituresThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyAgricultural production down 2.7 percent in H1The material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyBiełstat: corporate debt up 31 percent in January-MayThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, Security
- Economy
- EconomyReal income’s rise slows down in January–MayThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsSCO foreign ministers hold conference with Chinese leaderThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsPoland grants asylum to about 1,000 Belarusians this yearThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsReprisals: exiled blogger charged with insulting state symbolsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Society
- Politics
- Politics, SecurityMinsk ratifies classified info deal with MyanmarThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsCall to free Belarus rights activistsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SecurityBelarus region schedules alarm system testThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SecurityCommanders pass fitness test on Łukašenka’s ordersThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsViasna leadership arrest has not stopped human rights defense – lawyerThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics