A BKDP representative in Vienna spoke about digital pressure on Belarus’s independent trade unions

“In Belarus, digital tools are being turned into mechanisms of surveillance and intimidation”

The problems of protecting the rights of civil society in the digital age were discussed in Vienna at a conference attended by more than 350 participants, including representatives of governments and international organisations.

Maryia Zharylouskaya

In her opening remarks on behalf of Switzerland, which holds the OSCE Chairpersonship in 2026, Ambassador Dagmar Schmidt Tartagli, Head of Division at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, stated:

“At the heart of our efforts lies a simple principle: digital transformation must serve people. This means not only identifying risks, but also promoting solutions that strengthen digital resilience and protect human rights by ensuring that civic space online remains secure, open and inclusive.”

A representative of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions, Maryia Zharylouskaya, also spoke at the conference. In an interview with gazetaby.com, she noted that in her speech she addressed the Sustainable Development Goals and the fact that they concern not only economic indicators or environmental policy.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by UN member states as part of the UN General Assembly resolution “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, adopted on 25 September 2015.

Although such resolutions are generally not legally binding, they carry significant political weight. Documents of this kind reflect the agreed position of the international community and are used by states and organisations as reference points in the development of legislation, public policy and the interpretation of international obligations.

“The 2030 Agenda is also about whether people have a real opportunity to participate in decision-making processes that directly affect their lives. The International Labour Organization has repeatedly stressed that freedom of association, collective bargaining and social dialogue are key mechanisms for implementing the Agenda.

“Yet today, these very mechanisms are increasingly becoming targets in conditions of digital authoritarianism. And Belarus is a striking example of this trend.

“Formally, the country continues to take an active part in implementing the SDGs and, according to the Sustainable Development Report 2025, ranks 32nd out of 167 countries in the global SDG index.

“At the same time, following the events of 2020, Belarus has seen a massive wave of repression against independent trade unions and civil society.

“In 2021, the workers’ initiative Rabochy Rukh was designated an ‘extremist organisation’. In 2022, independent trade unions were liquidated in the country, and more than 20 trade union leaders and activists remain imprisoned to this day. More than 50 others have already served their sentences, but in reality remain unfree. The restrictions imposed on political prisoners — on the basis of criminal convictions and inclusion on ‘extremist’ and ‘terrorist’ lists — continue to subject them to repression. Although they have been formally released from custody, in practice they continue to serve their punishment.

“What is especially important, however, is the way repression has also spread into the digital sphere.

“Telegram channels of workers, trade union chats, pages on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, as well as online communities of railway workers and employees of enterprises such as Naftan, Grodna Azot, Belaruskali, BMZ, MAZ and others, have been declared ‘extremist materials’.

“In some cases, even trade union logos, symbols, leaflets and information materials have officially been classified as extremist — for example, those of Salidarnast e.V., which operates as the legal entity of BKDP in exile, and Rabochy Rukh.

“As of May 2026, dozens of online resources connected with independent trade unions and workers’ initiatives had been declared illegal.

“In practice, almost any form of digital communication linked to independent trade union activity — including discussion of working conditions, coordination of collective action, or dissemination of alternative information about labour rights — is prohibited.

“Even subscribing to, liking or reposting content on social media labelled as ‘extremist materials’ can lead to administrative detention for up to thirty days, or even criminal prosecution and a harsher sentence.

“As a result, digital tools that should serve as means of social dialogue, civic participation and workers’ representation are instead being turned into mechanisms of surveillance, intimidation and criminal prosecution.”

This illustrates one of the key problems in implementing the SDGs under digital authoritarianism. The authorities may continue to publish reports, update indicators and occupy relatively high positions in international rankings. However, without independent trade unions, without freedom of association, and without a safe digital space for civic participation, the implementation of the SDGs risks becoming primarily a matter of state reporting rather than a real process.

Victoria Leontieva

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