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On 13 June 2023, Belarusian authorities added the website, social media accounts and logo of the human rights organisation the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) to the Republican List of Extremist Content. Being on the list of extremist content exposes those people who somehow engage with the BAJ’s website, social media or logo to risks of administrative persecution, ranging from fines to 15 days of detention. Earlier this year, in February 2023, the Committee for State Security (KGB) of Belarus labelled the BAJ as an “extremist organization”.

On 12 April 2021, the home and office of Tanya Hatsura-Yavorska were searched a second time by law enforcement officers, following the first search on 5 April 2021. During the three-hour raid, old documents and phones no longer in use were confiscated. Volodymyr Yavorskyy, prominent Ukrainian human rights defender and lawyer, and Tanya Hatsura-Yavorska’s husband, was in the house during the raid, following which he was taken for questioning. During the interrogation, Volodymyr Yavorskyy was subjected to physical and psychological abuse and was denied access to his lawyer.

On 14 August 2023, the Belarusian Committee for State Security (KGB) listed the Homiel branch of the Human Rights Centre Viasna (HRC Viasna) as an extremist organisation, and added the Homiel branch’s website and social media accounts to the Republic’s List of Extremist Content. The declaration of the Homiel branch of HRC Viasna and its online content as extremist exposes those who engage with this branch of the human rights organisation to risks of administrative and criminal prosecution.

On 30 June 2021, detained human rights defender Andrei Alexandrov faced additional charges under Part 1 of Article 356 of the Criminal Code for “issuance of state secrets of the Republic of Belarus to a foreign state, international or foreign organization or their representatives”. If convicted, the charges carry a possible imprisonment sentence of up to 7 to 15 years. According to his lawyer, the human rights defender was shocked and denies the charge.

On 6 May 2022, woman human rights defender Volha Harbunova was sentenced to 3 years of detention without commitment to a penitentiary institution. The Savetski District Court of Minsk found the woman human rights defender guilty for “preparation of actions which gravely violate public order” under Article 342 of the Criminal Code of Republic of Belarus and sentenced her to 3 years of detention without committing WHRD to a penitentiary institution of any type.

On September 7, 2022, woman human rights defender Nasta Loika was sentenced to 15 days of administrative arrest, on “petty hooliganism” charges, a violation under Article 19.1 of the Code of Administrative Offences. The previous day, on 6 September 2022, Belarusian law enforcement officials arrested and detained the defender near the premises of the Minsk City Court.

On 20 January 2022, Chechen law enforcement officers physically attacked human rights defenders and lawyers Sergey Babinets and Oleg Khabibrakhmanov and woman human rights attorney Natalia Dobronravova, while they were providing legal assistance for their clients in Nizhnii Novgorod. During the incident, Chechen officials abducted the human rights defenders client, Zarema Musaeva, who is the mother of human rights defender Abubakar Yangulbayev. Front Line Defenders believes that these attacks and the abduction is related to the human rights defenders human rights work.

On 3 September 2021, the first court hearing regarding the case of human rights defenders Leanid Sudalenka, Maryia Tarasenka and Taciana Lasica took place at Centralny District Court in Gomel. The human rights defenders face charges of “organising, financing, training and preparation of actions grossly violating public order and financing such activities” under parts 1 and 2 of Article 342 of the Criminal Code. If convicted, they could face up to three years of imprisonment.

On 18 February 2021, human rights defender Dzmitry Salauyou was sentenced to 12 days of administrative detention for ‘violation of the established procedure for holding a meeting, rally, street procession, demonstration, picketing, other mass event, committed by a participant in such events.’ Two days earlier, the human rights defender was beaten and detained at his house in Kasyn village, close to Minsk.

On 8 September 2020, woman human rights defender Irina Sukhiy was sentenced to five days of administrative detention, for allegedly violating the procedure for holding a protest.