April 17, Pozirk. The Belarusian Committee for State Security (KGB) designated tryslany.com with the SVAE app and the Volnyaja initiative as “extremist” groups, says the updated official register, which now contains 353 organizations.
The agency named Pavieł Libier and Daniił Harkavy as members of tryslany.com and the SVAE app, blacklisting links to download the apps from online mobile app stores, along with the social media pages.
Two years ago, a Belarusian court sentenced Libier in absentia to four years in prison after finding him guilty of interfering in the 2020 election campaign. Libier founded the Hołas (Voice) platform, which was used to verify the presidential election results in 2020, as well as New Belarus. The latter evolved into the SVAE app, which provides information on businesses run by Belarusian emigrants in various countries, mainly in the services sector.
Tryslany.com positions itself as an independent Belarusian digital platform that brings together various initiatives in Belarus and promotes civic engagement. It also publishes information on elections to the opposition Coordination Council.
The Volnyja initiative supports victims of politically-motivated reprisals in Belarus. The KGB listed the following individuals as associated with it: Vieranika Stankievič, Dźmitryj Furmanaŭ, Julija Luzina, Julija Hanieckaja, Ahata Šnip, Artur Udrys and Darja Davydźka. The “extremist” designation covers the initiative’s website and social media pages.
Following the crackdown on the 2020 postelection protests, authorities in Belarus have equated criticism, solidarity, advocacy, the free media and free expression to extremism and terrorism.
