{"id":195125,"date":"2026-07-09T20:24:32","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T17:24:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/195125\/"},"modified":"2026-07-09T20:24:34","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T17:24:34","slug":"many-ex-prisoners-denied-proper-pension-viasna-says","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/195125\/","title":{"rendered":"Many ex-prisoners denied proper pension, Viasna says"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (Danie Franco \/ unsplash.com)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

July 9, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>The current pension system makes it impossible for many former prisoners to accumulate retirement benefits on an equal footing with other workers, according to the Viasna Human Rights Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A new study, based on testimonies by 22 former political prisoners, indicates that authorities gave little thought to the interests of ex-prisoners while reforming Belarus\u2019 Soviet-type pension system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In particular, the tightening of the “insurance experience” requirements means that a month of work only counts toward a pension if the worker’s pay is not below the country\u2019s minimum wage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because work for inmates of correctional institutions is compulsory but compensated only at symbolic rates, often between 0.8 and 50 rubels (between $0.28 and $17.4) a month after all deductions, prisoners miss the cutoff, currently 858 rubels ($299).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consequently, many prisoners discover upon release that their years of compulsory work did not translate into the necessary 20 years of insurance contributions, leaving them eligible only for \u201csocial\u201d pension, which is significantly smaller than a proper labor pension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Retirement age in Belarus currently stands at 63 years for men and 58 years for women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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