{"id":174024,"date":"2026-02-03T11:33:59","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T08:33:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/174024\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"reprisals-authorities-keep-using-extremist-labels-to-silence-regime-critics","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/174024\/","title":{"rendered":"Reprisals: authorities keep using extremist labels to silence regime critics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

February 3, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>New cases of politically-motivated persecution documented in Belarus from January 31 to February 2 targeted people sharing opposition content that authorities deem extremist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The interior ministry\u2019s organized crime unit held an event on extremism-related offenses at a local library in Klimavi\u010dy, Mahilo\u016d region, MAYDAY.TEAM said. During the event, law enforcement officers warned attendees of criminal prosecution for \u201csetting up and participating in an extremist group\u201d and urged them to review their online subscriptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brest police confirmed that 19 people were accused of sharing blacklisted opposition content in Belarus last year in the Brest district alone. Two individuals were persecuted for allegedly unauthorized picketing, while two others faced defamation charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a separate development, the Committee for State Security (KGB) branded Lichtar, an association of Belarusian students at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland, as an extremist group, the interior ministry reported. Alaksiej Hracho\u016dski, Illa Michnievi\u010d and Viktar Barana\u016d were listed as members. The list of extremist groups, which has been maintained after the 2020 postelection protests, now contains 330 entries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rights defender Alena Tanka\u010dova, who has Russian citizenship, was forced to leave Belarus after she refused to cooperate with the Belarusian KGB, reform.news <\/em>reported. The woman is now in Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year, Belarusian authorities stepped up discrimination and reprisals against the LGBTQ+ community. Law enforcement officers carried out raids on closed-door art events and selectively detained LGBTQ+ individuals for checks and interrogations, TG House reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instances of persecution also included fake dates arranged through dating apps, so-called preventive interrogations, pressure on family members and increased harassment of transgender people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of February 3, human rights defenders identified at least 1,152 political prisoners but the real number is considerably higher because many cases go undocumented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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