Human Rights Activists: Repressions Against Belarusians Increased In 2024
1- 5.01.2025, 16:13
- 3,856
At least 5,890 trials were held under political administrative articles.
The past year was even more repressive for Belarus than the previous two years, the Viasna HRC writes.
Raids on solidarity structures, waves of mass detentions in small towns, dismissals from large enterprises for political reasons, detentions of former political prisoners and those returning to Belarus from abroad – these are the things that distinguished 2024.
According to Viasna, at least 8,895 people faced various types of repression (detentions, interrogations, searches) last year. A quarter of the repressed were women.
In 2024, at least 5,890 trials were held across Belarus under political administrative articles. This is almost 2,000 more trials than in 2023.
In most cases, Belarusians were tried for "dissemination of extremist materials" (Article 19.11 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). But after a massive KGB raid on solidarity structures in January 2024, relatives and friends of political prisoners began to be tried under Part 2 of Article 24.15 of the Code of Administrative Offenses - "use of foreign gratuitous aid to carry out terrorist and other extremist activities or other actions prohibited by law."
This article has not been used in Belarus before.
Then, the basis for the prosecution was assistance to the families of political prisoners with food parcels via e-delivery from the INeedHelpBY initiative, which the authorities recognized as an ‘extremist group’.
As a result, more than 150 people received a large fine for receiving assistance through INeedHelpBY, and also had to pay compensation for the amount of the 'foreign' payment.
Bank's name: Bank Millennium S.A.
Address: ul. Stanislawa Zaryna, 2A, 02-593, Warszawa
IBAN: PL97116022020000000216711123
SWIFT: BIGBPLPW
Name of the account holder: Fundacja “KARTA ‘97”
Purpose/title of payment: Donation for statuary aims
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