Former political prisoner and journalist Andrzej Poczobut, who was released on 28 April 2026 as part of an exchange of Belarusian and Polish prisoners, spoke in the European Parliament on 17 June and mentioned Vatslau Areshka.

On 17 June in Brussels, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), Seamus Boland. During the meeting, the sides discussed the situation in Belarus and support for civil society. Particular attention was given to the state of the trade union movement in Belarus.

The 30th Constitutional Convention of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) took place in Minneapolis, USA, bringing together thousands of trade union leaders and activists from around the world. The forum was held under the banner of strengthening the unity of the labour movement amid growing authoritarian trends, attacks on workers’ rights, and profound changes in the labour market.

On June 11, the most important event for football fans began – the World Cup. FIFA expects the 2026 World Cup to become the most lucrative in history, generating around 13 billion dollars in income. However, this year’s tournament has also been accompanied by significant criticism, primarily due to the fact that it is being held, among other places, in the United States.

Maksim Pazniakou, Deputy Chair of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions, took part in a conference of the Fédération générale du travail de Belgique (FGTB), where he spoke about the situation of workers and the independent trade union movement in Belarus.

Belarusian trade union leader Aliaksandr Yarashuk is currently in Norway, where he is taking part in the ceremony for the Arthur Svensson International Prize for Trade Union Rights. Last year, the prize was awarded to Yarashuk himself, when he was still imprisoned in Belarus.

On 6 June in Geneva, during the 114th session of the International Labour Conference, a special meeting on Belarus was held within the Committee on the Application of Standards, concerning the government’s implementation of ILO recommendations in connection with the application of Article 33 of the ILO Constitution.

5 June, 2026On 4 June 2026, trade union activists and delegates at the 114th ILC gathered in front of UN Palace of Nations near the Broken Chair monument in Geneva, demanding the immediate release of imprisoned Belarusian trade unionists. Among them was Aliaksandr Yarashuk, BKDP president, free after three and a half years in prison.

On 7 June, the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BKDP) received the George Meany–Lane Kirkland Human Rights Award. This award is one of the most prestigious international trade union honours.

Two more international organisations have joined the joint statement on the systemic human rights crisis in the labour sphere in Belarus — the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT).