Belarus lost almost 1,200 NGOs since 2020 – human rights group

February 27, BPN. The Belarusian authorities forced at least 1,189 NGOs to terminate operation between the 2020 presidential election and late January 2023, the Lawtrend group said.

As of late January, 768 NGOs were in the process of a forced liquidation or were stripped of their registration, while the number of organizations that filed for self-liquidation kept growing and reached 421, it noted.

Pressure on NGO activists and workers, the unfavorable legal environment, as well as deteriorating social and political conditions remain the main reasons for NGOs to self-liquidate.

Authorities continue to discredit civil society organizations in pro-government media outlets, Lawtrend said.