Belarus Has Convicted at Least 419 People for Supporting Ukraine
Belarusian human rights group Viasna says at least 419 people have been convicted in Belarus for supporting Ukraine since February 2022, and 142 of them remain in custody.
The Belarusian human rights organisation Viasna has compiled data showing that since February 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, at least 419 people in Belarus have been convicted for backing Ukraine. They include 73 women. Of the total, 142 are currently in detention. Belarus has been ruled for 32 years by Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Charges behind the convictions
According to the rights defenders, 222 people were convicted under an article on supporting extremist activity after sharing photos and videos showing the movement of Russian military equipment. Most of them are linked to the case against the opposition Telegram channel Belaruski Hajun.
Forty-four people were convicted of treason, and 17 foreigners of "acting as an agent". Another 29 were tried under a terrorism article over sabotage on the railway and at the Machulishchy airfield. None of those convicted over sabotage has been freed through a pardon or a prisoner exchange.
For donations, 45 people were convicted under articles on financing terrorist activity or an extremist group. Forty-two people were convicted of participating in an armed conflict on foreign territory, 23 of them in the Kalinouski Regiment case. That unit of Ukraine's Defence Forces consists mainly of Belarusian fighters.
Belarus's role in the war
Russian troops are stationed in Belarus, and the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine was launched in part from Belarusian territory. Belarus does not take part in the war directly, however, and Lukashenko presents himself as a supporter of peace talks.
