In December 2023, Tatsiana Khatskova, chair of the Homiel regional organization of the Belarusian Trade Union of Bank and Financial Workers, faced arrest and loss of office. Information about her leadership was removed from the organization's website after accusations of "spreading extremist information".
Earlier, the union's reception desk and her workplace responded that the chairwoman was apparently on sick leave, „Flagshtok“ clarified.
According to official information on the union's website, the organization is now without a leader. Khatskova was awarded a 15-day arrest on charges of "distribution, manufacture, storage and transportation of information products containing calls for extremist activity or propagandizing such activity."
The union headed by Khatskova had more than 4,500 members and union membership coverage was almost 99%. The court hearing was held on December 4 in the court of Tsentralny district of Homel. Khatskova claimed that she had not posted the extremist link, and her cell phone was lost. Nevertheless, the court ordered her arrest for 15 days without finding "exact data" about the loss of the phone.
This event underscores the beginning of purges in the pro-governmental organizations, in particular in the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus, against the background of the upcoming elections. It should be added that not only members and activists of independent trade unions participated in the protests of August 2020. Therefore, most likely, it is the turn of the pro-governmental organizations, whose activists do not inspire confidence in the regime.