According to the Human Rights Center "Viasna", last year at least 6386 people faced various types of repressions, including 1776 women and 4566 men. But the real figures may be much higher, as human rights activists do not receive all the information about repressions. Among the thousands of political prisoners in prisons in Belarus there are almost 50 trade union leaders.
The greatest number of repressions was recorded by human rights activists in Minsk and Minsk region - 1,535 people. Homel and Hrodna regions are next - 1,345 and 1,023 people.
According to human rights activists, at least 4,466 trials on politically motivated articles were held across the country last year.
Belarusian courts imposed at least 1,822 fines totaling 1,524,492 rubles (almost $466,000). Judges also ordered the arrest of at least 2005 people. In total, Belarusians spent at least 22,988 days in pre-trial detention centers.
In addition, according to "Viasna" the courts ordered community service in 22 cases, while 38 cases were terminated on various grounds.
For three and a half years, "special" conditions have been created for "political" detainees in the cells of temporary detention centers, human rights activists write. All this time people are not given hygiene products, change of clothes, bedding. They are not taken out for a shower or fresh air. Some of the arrested are kept in such conditions for several months in a row.
At the same time, the cells remain overcrowded at all times. Therefore, people are forced to sleep on the floor, under beds, on benches and even on tables. As an additional pressure, homeless people are put into cells. The lights are on continuously day and night.
Detainees do not accept transfers with a change of linen, hygiene products and medicines, and they sometimes have to beg the administration for soap and toilet paper for days at a time.
There is usually no warm water in the cells, and running cold water from the tap is highly discouraged.
Mass repression in Belarus intensified after the rigged 2020 elections, when hundreds of thousands of Belarusians protested, which the authorities violently suppressed, arresting tens of thousands of people. People were killed and injured during the dispersal of the protests. Since then, repression in Belarus has not stopped.
Source: "Viasna"