Hundreds of Belarusians in Prison for Exercising Their Rights

Bialiatski is the founder and chairman of the Human Rights Center “Viasna,” one of the country’s leading rights groups, and a laureate of the 2022 Noble Prize for Peace.

In 2011, the authorities sentenced Bialiatski to 4.5 years in prison after convicting him on bogus “tax evasion” charges but released him in a 2014 amnesty. In July 2021, the authorities arrested Bialiatski and his Viasna colleagues again on bogus “tax evasion” charges in reprisal for Viasna’s human rights work. In March 2023, a court in Minsk sentenced him to 10 years in prison for “financing activities, grossly violating public order” and “smuggling” cash by an organized group.

You can find out more about imprisoned Viasna activists at the webpage of FreeViasna’s campaign. 

Labkovich is a lawyer at Viasna and coordinator of the campaign Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections, which monitors elections in Belarus.

In July 2021, law enforcement agents arrested Labkovich on bogus tax evasion charges along with his colleagues Bialiatski and Stefanovic. In March 2023, a court in Minsk sentenced Labkovich to seven years in prison for “cash smuggling by an organized group” and “financing activities, grossly violating public order.”

Labkovich’s health deteriorated behind bars, according to Viasna.  

You can find out more about imprisoned Viasna activists at the webpage of FreeViasna’s campaign. 

Lojka is a prominent human rights defender, particularly well known for her work on anti-discrimination, equality issues, fair trial, rights of foreigners and stateless persons, and human rights education.

In September-December 2022, Lojka had served a total of six 15-day administrative arrest sentences on bogus “petty hooliganism” administrative charges. On December 24, while still in administrative detention, she was charged with criminal offenses of “organizing group actions grossly violating public order” and “incitement of racial, national, religious or other social enmity or discord.” Lojka suffered ill-treatment and torture both during administrative and pre-trial detention.

In June 2023, the Minsk City Court sentenced Lojka to seven years in prison. A report by Loika on human rights abuses by Belarusian police was used as a key piece of “evidence” against her. 

Rabkova is a human rights activist and coordinator of Viasna’s program for volunteers who, among other things, worked to organize monitoring of elections and of peaceful protests.

On September 17, 2020, law enforcement raided Rabkova’s home and detained her. Rabkova was charged with “training or other preparation of persons to participate in riots or funding such activities,” “inciting social enmity” and “involvement in a criminal group.” 

In September 2022, a court in Minsk sentenced Rabkova to 15 years in prison. She is serving her sentence in Homiel penal colony N4 and her heath has significantly deteriorated due to dire conditions and ill treatment in prison.

You can find out more about imprisoned Viasna activists at the webpage of FreeViasna’s campaign. 

Stefanovic is a board member of Viasna and a prominent human rights advocate.

After a house search and interrogation in July 2021, he was detained on the same bogus charges of “tax evasion” as Bialiatski. In March 2023, a court in Minsk sentenced Stefanovic to nine years in prison for “cash smuggling by an organized group” and “financing activities, grossly violating public order.”

In Belarusian, “Viasna” means spring. When speaking at his show trial, Stefanovich said that prosecution of activists won’t end Viasna’s work. Instead, it will be carried on by new generations of rights defenders. “And in the end, winter will always be followed by spring,” he said.

You can find out more about imprisoned Viasna activists at the webpage of FreeViasna’s campaign.