5 years of unprecedented repression in Belarus
August 2020 marked a turning point in Belarusian history: The nationwide mass protests against Alexander Lukashenko’s authoritarian regime were followed by their brutal crackdown, which not only reached exceptional levels but has continued to this day.
Upon request, LIBERECO provides contact details of several former Belarusian political prisoners, including English speakers, and experts for interviews. Please write us: media@libereco.org
Mass repressions have been continuing in Belarus for more than 5 years. Since the falsified presidential election on 9 August 2020 and the following nationwide mass protests, the human rights situation in the EU neighbouring country has significantly worsened. All independent media and NGOs have already been dissolved or forced into exile for a long time. Meanwhile, security forces still hunt for people who participated in the demonstrations, and almost on a daily basis, people get summoned and pre-emptively detained, including former political prisoners and their relatives.
“The human rights situation in Belarus remains terrible, and most violations happen silently and secretly. The criminal prosecution of dissidents, protest participants, journalists, human rights defenders, and lawyers continues, and there are neither independent observers nor lawyers worthy of the name in the courtrooms. Fortunately, political prisoners have been occasionally pardoned and released, or their sentences have ended. However, at the same time, at least as many people are convicted to long prison terms for purely political reasons, so that the number of political prisoners has remained above 1,000 already for years”, says Marco Fieber, Executive Director of LIBERECO in Germany.
According to the Belarusian Human Rights Centre Viasna, 330 people have been pardoned in several waves over the past year (all figures as of 01.08.2025), but their identities are not known in all cases. Thus, it is unclear how many political prisoners are among them.
Over 1,100 political prisoners in Belarus
In total, Viasna has recorded 7,239 convictions in politically motivated criminal cases since 2020. 1,184 political prisoners remain in prison, including 37 journalists and 175 women.
The health of the prisoners is particularly worrying. According to Viasna, at least 164 political prisoners remain in captivity despite being in a condition that is incompatible with captivity, many of whom are serious ill or a under a compulsory psychiatric treatment. Since 2020, at least eight people have died in Belarusian prisons while in custody.
Health of political prisoners deteriorating
Based on its support for over 300 ex-prisoners since 2020, LIBERECO has recorded that the health of released political prisoners is deteriorating due to the long periods of detention and inhumane conditions: damp and cold cells, malnutrition, lack of exercise and little or no direct sunlight. Many prisoners are also subjected to ill-treatment and torture.
Marco Fieber emphasises: “Without exception, all released prisoners show serious physical and mental damage. Most frequently, we document teeth, eyes, kidneys, joints, lungs and gastrointestinal tract diseases. We are also seeing an increase of cases with cancer and HIV, which either first appeared or worsened in prison.”
At least eight political prisoners remain incommunicado: Maryia Kalesnikava, Maksim Znak, Mikalai Statkevich, Ihar Losik, Viktar Babaryka, Uladzimir Kniha, Aliaksandr Aranovich, and Aliaksandr Frantskevich. Among the most well-known political prisoners is Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski.