Government opponents barred from key positions in commercial banks
January 7, Pozirk. The National Bank of Belarus (NBB) has adopted a regulation barring opponents of the government from holding key positions in commercial banks.
Under Directive No. 370, dated December 20, 2025, banks are prohibited from appointing candidates to senior roles if they have:
- participated in unauthorized demonstrations
- engaged in activities deemed to discredit Belarus or its state institutions
- been associated with extremist groups or
- distributed content classified as extremist
These accusations are routinely used by the regime of Alyaksandr Lukashenka to imprison and silence critics.
The restrictions apply to a wide range of senior positions, including chief executive officers, chief financial officers, their deputies, members of collective executive bodies and members of boards of directors, among others.
Opposition leader urges release of rights defenders Rabkova, Łojka
January 6, Pozirk. Belarusian opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja has urged Minsk to liberate jailed human rights defenders Marfa Rabkova and Anastasija Łojka on the day that they turned 31 and 37, respectively. “For Marfa, it is already her sixth birthday …
