“The conviction of Nasta Loika on trumped-up charges following a secretive, sham trial deals a devastating blow to the activist community in Belarus and the human rights situation as a whole. The authorities’ cowardly decision to try her behind closed doors reveals the total lack of legitimacy of her prosecution and the extent of the violations of her right to a fair trial. Loika is a courageous activist and educator who has worked tirelessly to promote and protect human rights in Belarus. She must be immediately and unconditionally released.

“There are also serious fears for Nasta Loika’s health and safety, and this latest secretive trial raises further concerns. The Belarusian authorities must urgently stop using the country’s criminal justice system as a tool to silence state critics, including Loika and other human rights defenders who are facing a similar fate.

“The Belarusian authorities must immediately order an investigation into prisoner of conscience, Nasta Loika’s arbitrary detention and allegations that prison officials tortured her, as reported last year. Any officials who are reasonably suspected of committing or being complicit in these crimes must be brought to justice in a fair trial without recourse to the death penalty.

Background

Nasta (Anastasia) Loika is a prominent human rights defender. She has previously documented the use of repressive “anti-extremist” legislation in Belarus, worked to protect foreign nationals and stateless persons in the country, and offered education on human rights.

On 6 September 2022, Loika was arbitrarily detained as she was leaving Minsk City Court after attending a hearing in the trial against fellow human rights defenders Marfa Rabkova, Andrei Chapyuk, and their eight co-defendants.

Loika was initially placed in “administrative detention” for purported “petty hooliganism”. Her detention was repeatedly extended until she was arbitrarily remanded as a criminal suspect in October 2022.

During her detention, she was denied access not only to her lawyer, but also essential medical treatment and other basic necessities, including warm clothes and drinking water.

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“This sham trial on politically motivated charges is a blatant retaliation for Viasna’s human rights work. Their sentencing represents a further blow to the already severely repressed civil society and the concerning state of human rights in Belarus. It’s a vindictive act of injustice that requires the immediate attention of the international community.

“These brave human rights defenders were never given the chance of a fair trial. They were handcuffed when escorted in and held inside a cage throughout the trial. The judge conducted proceedings in Russian instead of Belarusian and they were given no time to familiarize themselves with the case materials, to say nothing of them being tried on fabricated charges. We cannot let them suffer under the reprehensible political agenda of the Belarusian authorities. We demand their immediate and unconditional release.”

Background

Bialiatski Stefanovich and Labkovich, have been falsely charged with “smuggling large sums of money and financing group activities that grossly violated public order”. They have all been held in custody since July 2021, while exiled co-defendant Dzmitry Salauyou was sentenced to eight years in absentia. 

The prosecution claims that they smuggled at least 201,000 Euros and 54,000 US Dollars across the border and used these funds to finance “unlawful” protest activities.

During and after mass and overwhelmingly peaceful protests against widely alleged electoral fraud in 2020, Viasna was instrumental in documenting and reporting widespread human rights violations, including arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture and other ill-treatment and unfair trials.

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“The trial against Ales Bialiatski and his fellow human rights defenders is a blatant act of injustice wherein the state is clearly seeking to enact revenge for their activism. In this shameful pretence of a trial, the defendants cannot even hope for a semblance of justice. The judge has not only refused to conduct the trial in Belarusian instead of Russian, but also to remove their handcuffs or adjourn the hearing so the defendants can familiarize themselves with the case materials.

In this shameful pretence of a trial, the defendants cannot even hope for a semblance of justice.

Marie Struthers, Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Amnesty International

“In a country where politically motivated prosecutions and mass imprisonment of people for criticizing the government are routine, human rights work is as indispensable as it is dangerous. Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s administration is particularly vengeful against human rights activists, and the outcome of this ‘trial’ seems destined to be cruel.

“All charges against Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovich and Uladzimir Labkovich should be urgently dropped, and they should all be released immediately and unconditionally.”

Background

Ales Bialiatski, founder and chair of Viasna human rights centre, Valiantsin Stefanovich, deputy chair of Viasna and vice-president of the International Federation of Human Rights, and Uladzimir Labkovich, Viasna’s lawyer, have been falsely charged with “smuggling large sums of money and financing group activities that grossly violated public order”. They have all been held in custody since July 2021, while exiled co-defendant Dzmitry Salauyou is being tried in absentia. They face up to 12 years behind bars.

The prosecution claims that they smuggled at least 201,000 euros and 54,000 USD across the border and used these funds to finance unlawful protest activities.

During mass peaceful protests against widely alleged electoral fraud in 2020 and in their aftermath, Viasna was instrumental in documenting and reporting mass human rights violations, including arbitrary arrest and detention, torture and unfair trials.

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The report, Eastern Europe and Central Asia: Protect Women from Violence in Crises and Beyond, exposes the institutional, social and cultural challenges faced by survivors of domestic violence in the region and demonstrates how disinterested and ill-adapted state institutions are in regard to their needs. Institutional, legal and other safeguards against such violence are largely inadequate and are being eroded even further due to a surge in traditional, patriarchal and openly misogynistic political rhetoric.

“Amnesty has documented the damaging effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown measures on safeguards against domestic violence in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Crucially, these cannot be divorced from ineffective legal and institutional frameworks in the region, and deeply harmful political and social dynamics,” said Natalia Nozadze, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Researcher.

Amnesty has documented the damaging effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown measures on safeguards against domestic violence in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Crucially, these cannot be divorced from ineffective legal and institutional frameworks in the region, and deeply harmful political and social dynamics.

Natalia Nozadze, Eastern Europe and Central Asia Researcher, Amnesty International

“The pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the unspeakable horrors of conflicts, and their ramifications across the region have made it more difficult for those experiencing domestic violence to report it. It’s also now more difficult to flee unsafe situations, access shelters and other critical support services, obtain protection orders (if at all available) or rely on effective legal remedies.”

Promotion of ‘traditional values’ undermines protections for survivors

According to recent data from the World Health Organization, around 20% of women in Eastern Europe and 18% of women in Central Asia have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. At the same time, most countries in the region have failed to take a stance against such violence or take effective steps to protect women’s rights.

Recent years have seen protections of the rights of women and girls, including those who are survivors of domestic violence, eroded across the globe, as exemplified by the US Supreme Court’s decision to roll back abortion rights and Turkey’s withdrawal from the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention). Many governments in Eastern Europe and Central Asia have followed this general trend.

“Governments across Eastern Europe and Central Asia are increasingly promoting ‘traditional values’ and equating the protection of gender equality and women’s rights with a loss of cultural and traditional identity, as part of efforts to secure broader support for their anti-human rights agenda. As a result, patriarchal attitudes, misogyny and homophobia have not only become more entrenched, but have flourished,” said Natalia Nozadze.

Governments across Eastern Europe and Central Asia are increasingly promoting ‘traditional values’ and equating the protection of gender equality and women’s rights with a loss of cultural and traditional identity.

Natalia Nozadze, Eastern Europe and Central Asia Researcher, Amnesty International

The Russian authorities offer a prominent example, having introduced state-sponsored homophobia and an unrelenting crackdown on human rights and women’s rights. In 2017, the Russian parliament even decriminalized some forms of domestic violence. The constitutional amendments adopted in 2020 promoted “protection of the family” and “protection of marriage as a union between a man and a woman.”

Similarly, in 2017 Kazakhstan decriminalized “intentional infliction of minor injury” and “battery”, while also weakening protections for survivors of domestic violence. In both Russia and Kazakhstan, activists reported a spike in cases of domestic violence following decriminalization.

Belarus considered a draft law on domestic violence yet rejected it in October 2018 after President Alyaksandr Lukashenka said it was against “Belarusian, Slavic traditions” and added that a “good belting could sometimes be useful” in domestic settings. Belarusian women are discouraged from reporting domestic violence because doing so may trigger a process that would see their family entered into a “social risk” register, which could result in the loss of parental rights and the institutionalization of their children.

Other leaders, including President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, in 2019, openly supported “a state based on traditional values” as opposed to a society that “does not distinguish between men and women.” Azerbaijan continues to force the survivors of domestic violence to go through mandatory mediation with their abusers for the “resumption of family affairs.”

Legal shortcomings, misguided approaches

Only three countries in the region, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, are state parties to the Istanbul Convention, while these same three and Kyrgyzstan have directly criminalized domestic violence. While most countries in the region have made some progress by adopting or reforming their laws to address domestic violence, the region lacks effective protection and support mechanisms for survivors of domestic violence as existing laws and policies remain inadequate.

A pervasive, deeply traditionalist approach of family mediation presents one of the main obstacles to offering greater protection to survivors. In many countries, preservation of “family unity” is seen as a bigger priority for the state than effectively protecting the rights of survivors. In practice, this often leads to survivors being coerced into staying with the abuser.

In Uzbekistan, local officials have been tasked with “strengthening family relationships and opposing various harmful influences alien to the national mentality.” For the authorities in Armenia and Azerbaijan, achieving family reconciliation in situations of domestic violence is their primary goal. In Kazakhstan, legal proceedings against an abuser may be terminated in case of reconciliation. In Russia and Tajikistan, survivors of violence bear the burden of proving that they have suffered harm — police and prosecutors generally will not assist them in this task.

Even in countries where domestic violence is criminalized, burdensome legal hurdles often leave survivors without effective protection or access to justice. In Ukraine, domestic violence meets the threshold of a criminal offence only if it has been officially documented as “systematic,” which means the perpetrator must have faced administrative proceedings for domestic abuse on at least three separate occasions.

Lack of supporting infrastructure

Across Eastern Europe and Central Asia, access to protection and information for survivors of domestic violence remains wholly inadequate. None of the countries in the region come close to achieving the minimum standards established by the Council of Europe, which require one available space in a shelter for every 10,000 people.

In many countries in the region, the authorities have practically refused to meet their obligation to set-up institutions to support survivors. Instead, shelters are often run and supported financially by non-profit organizations. In Russia, there are only 14 state-run shelters for women, despite a population of 146 million. In Ukraine, prior to Russia’s invasion, there were only 33 shelters nationwide for a population of around 42 million. As a result of the war, many domestic violence shelters are now used to house survivors of war.

Women also experience significant difficulties in accessing sexual and reproductive healthcare services in many countries. In Central Asia, three out of every five women reported difficulty accessing such services.

Access to abortion also deteriorated catastrophically during the Covid-19 pandemic. In Russia, a women’s rights group reported that, at the height of the pandemic in April 2020, only three of 44 hospitals in Moscow that they contacted were ready to provide non-emergency abortion services.

Further support for survivors of violence crucial

All countries in the region must criminalize domestic violence as a matter of urgency, remove the burden of proof from survivors, and abandon policies requiring mandatory mediation and reconciliation for the sake of family preservation. The authorities must also provide adequate resources to protection and support services, including shelters, and ensure that sexual and reproductive health services remain available and accessible.

It is absolutely crucial that protection and empowerment of women play a central role in public health policies, yet for many countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, this ideal remains an entirely unachieved goal.

Natalia Nozadze, Eastern Europe and Central Asia Researcher, Amnesty International

“It is absolutely crucial that protection and empowerment of women play a central role in public health policies, yet for many countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, this ideal remains an entirely unachieved goal. But there is a tool for establishing an effective and comprehensive legal framework on domestic violence — the ground-breaking Istanbul Convention. It is open to Belarus, Russia and countries in Central Asia, along with those within the Council of Europe,” said Natalia Nozadze.

“Nonetheless any institutional changes will be feeble unless governments address the surge in ‘traditional’ narratives, which continue to roll back women’s rights. Instead of exploiting these attitudes for political gain, governments in the region should place women’s rights at the centre of their policies.”

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“The Belarusian authorities must immediately disclose all information regarding Maryia Kalesnikava’s condition, whether her life is in danger, and her whereabouts. The secrecy that surrounds prisoners in Belarus is unacceptable. This situation once again demonstrates what a cruel and impenetrable system Aliaksandr Lukashenka has built in his efforts to punish those who dare to dissent or challenge his rule.”

“Lukashenka’s government will not achieve its aim to silence a powerful voice of peaceful protest by throwing Maryia Kalesnikava into a punishment cell in inhumane conditions, by denying her contact with her lawyer, and denying the rest of us any information about her well-being.”

Lukashenka’s government will not achieve its aim to silence a powerful voice of peaceful protest by throwing Maryia Kalesnikava into a punishment cell in inhumane conditions, by denying her contact with her lawyer, and denying the rest of us any information about her well-being

Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Background

The news of the hospitalization of Mariya Kalesnikava came from the team of imprisoned Belarusian politician Viktar Babaryka – an associate of Maryia Kalesnikava – on 29 November. On the same day Mariya Kalesnikava’s lawyer was denied a visit for the third time in a row. According to Viktar Babaryka’s team, earlier in November, Maryia Kalesnikava was placed in a punishment cell, a harsher type of confinement, usually solitary. The team received no information about the reasons for and duration of this reprimand measure.

According to further information, later confirmed by the lawyer, Maryia Kalesnikava was transported to the Homel city hospital on 28 November, underwent urgent surgery and was then transferred to intensive care.

On 6 September 2021, the Minsk Regional Court sentenced Maryia Kalesnikava and her associate Maksim Znak, members of the opposition Coordinating Council and associates of the jailed presidential contender Viktar Babaryka, to 11 and 10 years respectively, on trumped-up charges including “conspiracy to seize power by unconstitutional means”.

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“The awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to human rights defenders and organizations from Belarus, Russia and Ukraine highlights the vital role they play in defending human rights in their countries and the wider region.”

“The Nobel Committee is sending an important message to the world – that it must support human rights defenders that have shown an outstanding effort to document war crimes, human rights abuses and the abuse of power in their countries. This message is sent at a critical moment when ongoing Russian aggression has led to a human rights crisis of incredible proportions in Ukraine, and of the crackdown on any form of dissent in Russia and Belarus.

“This is also a message of solidarity. Since July 2021 Ales Bialiatski, a pioneer of human rights in Belarus since the mid-1980’s, has been behind bars for his peaceful work documenting, among other things, the crackdown on dissent following the disputed 2020 presidential elections. Memorial, one of the oldest Russian human rights organisations, was shut down by the Russian authorities at the end of 2021, and the Center for Civil Liberties has been documenting Russian war crimes in Ukraine since 2014 and continues its work in Ukraine despite the ongoing Russian war of aggression.

“Amnesty International stands in solidarity with Ales Bialiatski, Memorial and the Center for Civil Liberties. All three are an inspiration and an example of courage and dedication for all those who carry out human rights work in Eastern Europe.”

Amnesty International stands in solidarity with Ales Bialiatski, Memorial and the Center for Civil Liberties. All three are an inspiration and an example of courage and dedication for all those who carry out human rights work in Eastern Europe

Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General

Background 

Ales Bialiatski, the chairman and founder of the Human Rights Centre Viasna in 1996, is held in a pre-trial detention centre since July 2021. Along with his fellow colleagues, Viasna vice-chair Valyantsin Stefanovich and the organization’s lawyer Uladzimir Labkovich, he’s falsely charged with “smuggling of large sums of money and financing group activities that grossly violated public order” as retaliation for his lawful human rights work.

Between 2011 and 2014, Ales Bialiatski served a sentence on trumped up charges of tax evasion. Then, as now, Amnesty International recognises him as a prisoner of conscience.

Memorial is one of the oldest and most respected human rights groups in Russia that started operating in 1988. The Soviet dissident and Nobel Peace Prize winner Andrei Sakharov was the first chair of Memorial until his death in 1989. Memorial was liquidated by a court order in December 2021 on grounds of violation of the now infamous “foreign agents” law. The Russian authorities labelled Memorial a ‘foreign agent’ in 2013. Currently, Memorial continues operating without official registration.

The Center for Civil Liberties, founded in Ukraine in 2007, is currently playing a critical role in efforts to identify and document war crimes committed in Ukrainian territory under effective Russian control since 2014 and occupied during the 2022 invasion.

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“The harsh sentences meted out to human rights defender Marfa Rabkova and her co-defendants are as shameful as the arrests and countless reports of torture and other ill-treatment of protesters that preceded today’s judgement. This trial, which brought charges for fictitious ‘mass riots’, was nothing more than a mockery of justice representative of the broader crushing of Belarussian civil society.

The harsh sentences meted out to human rights defender Marfa Rabkova and her co-defendants are as shameful as the arrests and countless reports of torture and other ill-treatment of protesters that preceded today’s judgement

Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia

“There were no mass riots in Belarus. Marfa Rabkova and Andrei Chapyuk should never have been charged in the first place, nor any of their co-defendants. The Belarusian authorities must urgently end their campaign of repression against civil society activists. All others who have already been thrown behind bars simply for peacefully exercising their human rights must also be released immediately and unconditionally.”

Background

On 6 September, the Minsk City Court sentenced Rabkova, a coordinator of the volunteer service of the Human Rights Center Viasna, a banned human rights organization in Belarus, to 15 years in prison, while Chapyuk, a volunteer for Viasna in Minsk, was handed a 6-year sentence.

Rabkova and Chapyuk were arbitrarily detained on 17 September and 2 October 2020, respectively, for documenting human rights violations that occurred following the August 2020 disputed presidential election. After the vote, thousands of overwhelmingly peaceful protesters took to the streets but the authorities labelled the demonstrations as “mass riots” in their efforts to crush all forms of dissent.

Marfa Rabkova was found guilty of “organizing, participating in and training others to participate in mass riots”, “inciting social hostility towards the government” and “involvement in a criminal organization”, among other charges. Andrei Chapyuk was found guilty of “participating in mass riots” and “involvement in a criminal organization”.

Their co-defendants, Akihiro Haeuski-Hanada, Alyaksandr Frantskevich, Alyaksei Galauko, Alyaksandr Kazlyanka, Pavel Shpetny, Mikita Dranets, Andrei Marach and Daniil Chul, were dealt between five and 17 years in prison.

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“Today, another show trial begins in Minsk with the sole purpose of punishing Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s critics and discouraging any challenge to his repressive policies. Unlike other sham trials which are usually held behind closed doors, this one will be open to the public so that all the world can see it for what it is – a desperate attempt to crush dissent.

Unlike other sham trials which are usually held behind closed doors, this one will be open to the public so that all the world can see it for what it is – a desperate attempt to crush dissent

Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia

“All critics of the Belarusian authorities detained solely for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression must be immediately and unconditionally released and all charges against them must be dropped.”

Background

On 29 July, the Minsk Regional Court began hearings in a trial against the leader of the Belarusian Popular Front party Ryhor Kastusyou, political consultant Alyaksandr Fyaduta, lawyer Yury Zyankovich, his former employee Volha Halubovich and Dzyanis Krauchuk, an activist.

Fyaduta and Zyankovich were detained on 12 April 2021 in Moscow and later transferred to Belarus. On the same day, Kastusyou and Halubovich were put behind bars in Minsk followed by Krauchuk on 26 April.

Fyaduta, Zyankovich and Kastusyou are charged with “conspiracy to seize power” under Article 357(1) of the Criminal Code. Zyankovich is additionally charged with “creating of an extremist group” (Article 361-1(1)), “public calls for the seizure of power” (Article 361(3)) and “incitement of social hatred” (Article 130(3)). Halubovich and Krauchuk are charged with “gross violation of public order” (Article 342(1)).

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“Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s repressive apparatus continues to try to grind brave journalists and activists to dust. Every day brings a new terrible and unjust criminal verdict.”

“Today, Katsyaryna Andreeva, who is already serving an unfair two-year prison sentence, has been given an additional eight years in prison in a politically motivated sham ‘trial.’ She is being subjected to absurd and baseless treason charges solely for her fearless work as a journalist.

Katsyaryna Andreeva, who is already serving an unfair two-year prison sentence, has been given an additional eight years in prison in a politically motivated sham ‘trial’

Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia

“Katsyaryna Andreeva and all other critics of the Belarusian authorities detained solely for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression must be immediately and unconditionally released and all charges against them must be dropped.”

Background

On 13 July 2022, the Homel Regional court in Belarus, after a week-long deliberation, sentenced Belsat TV journalist Katsyaryna Andreeva to eight years in prison. She was accused of “state treason” with no further details disclosed or evidence presented to substantiate the allegation. The Belarusian authorities routinely restrict all information about criminal proceedings against their critics under threat of criminal prosecution for any disclosure.

On 18 February 2021, a court in Minsk found Andreeva and her colleague Daria Chultsava guilty in a separate case on charges of “organization and preparation of actions grossly violating public order, or active participation in them” (Article 342(1) of the Belarusian Criminal Code). The accusations against them stemmed from livestreaming a peaceful protest on 15 November 2020. Both journalists were sentenced then to two years in prison, their sentences expiring in September 2022. Andreeva would be required to serve the new prison sentence from then on.

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“The Belarusian authorities are increasingly clamping down on all dissent and continuing to support Russia in its aggression against Ukraine. Danuta Pyarednya and all persons in Belarus jailed for peacefully expressing their opinions and speaking out against the war must be released immediately and all charges against them dropped.”

Danuta Pyarednya and all persons in Belarus jailed for peacefully expressing their opinions and speaking out against the war must be released immediately and all charges against them dropped

Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Background

On 5 July, a court in Kirausk, Mahiliou Oblast, sentenced Danuta Pyarednya, former student of Kulyashou Mahiliou State University, to six and a half years in a penal colony. She had been accused of “harming the national interests of Belarus” (Article 361(3) of the Criminal Code) and of “insulting the President” (Article 368(1)), a conduct that should not be criminalized in the first place.

The Belarusian authorities detained Pyarednya on 28 February, for reposting a text criticizing Vladimir Putin and Alyaksandr Lukashenka for waging war in Ukraine. A top student, she was promptly expelled from the university. On 10 June, while she was in detention, the Belarusian State Security Committee added her to the official list of “individuals involved in the terrorist activities.”

Since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, more than a thousand people have been detained in Belarus, Russia’s ally, for expressing their anti-war views.

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“Belarus is the only state in Europe and Central Asia which still uses the death penalty, the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. This law, which is against Belarus’ international obligations, expands the application of this cruel and inhumane punishment and for acts that do not qualify as intentional killing, is the latest display of Belarusian authorities’ profound disregard for human rights.

Belarus is the only state in Europe and Central Asia which still uses the death penalty, the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment

Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia

“It is particularly alarming given that the Belarusian authorities have a dangerously vague definition of ‘terrorism,’ with terrorism-related charges used to prosecute political dissent. Authorities have systematically equated peaceful protest and free expression to violent crimes, and this law is a chilling signal that they are ramping up their repression and raising the stakes to deadly new heights.  

“Amid a suffocatingly repressive political climate in Belarus, opponents of the government now face the prospect of being shot if they dare to speak out. We call on Belarus to abandon this cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment once and for all, and to stop its shameful campaign of persecution of political opponents and human rights activists.”

Amid a suffocatingly repressive political climate in Belarus, opponents of the government now face the prospect of being shot if they dare to speak out

Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Background

On 18 May, Alyaksandr Lukashenka gave presidential approval to new legislation which introduces the death penalty for “attempts to carry out acts of terrorism.” The law will come into force 10 days after its publication.

In April, the Belarusian parliament passed the bill widening the application of the death penalty, a move believed to be a response to recent incidents of sabotage on the country’s railway network.

Such incidents have reportedly been used as a covert tactic by opponents of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, to prevent Russian forces stationed in Belarus from travelling across the border.  

According to Human Rights Center Viasna, dozens of political activists have already been charged with “attempted terrorism.” Among them is Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the exiled Belarusian opposition leader, and Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s main contender in the widely-disputed 2020 presidential elections.

Currently, the death penalty is usually applied in Belarus for aggravated murder but is also a possible punishment in legislation for acts of terrorism that cause loss of life.

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