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On the evening of January 25 in Vilnius, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, held a bilateral meeting with the Head of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya, on behalf of Belarusians, expressed full support for the Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom, highlighted President Zelenskyy’s exceptional personal leadership, and thanked him for his powerful speech at the ceremony commemorating the 1863 January Uprising. She also expressed gratitude to President Zelenskyy for his support for a democratic Belarus and for the fact that Ukraine’s leadership clearly distinguishes between the Belarusian people and the regime.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya paid special tribute to Belarusian volunteer fighters, humanitarian workers, and partisans who have been persecuted in Belarus for their solidarity with and support for Ukraine, as well as to Belarusians living in Ukraine. She also emphasized the situation of captured Belarusian volunteer fighters. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya thanked President Zelenskyy and his team (in particular, the Head of the President’s Office, Kyrylo Budanov) for accepting the most recent group of released political prisoners. The sides discussed the releases, next steps, and Ukraine’s readiness to continue providing this type of support.

Mr. Zelenskyy and Ms. Tsikhanouskaya also discussed sanctions policy, a joint strategy with European and American partners, and efforts to hold Aliaksandr Lukashenka and his accomplices accountable, including for the forced displacement of Ukrainian children. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya proposed appointing a Special Envoy for Belarus, as many other democratic countries have done, as well as closer cooperation with the Mission of Democratic Belarus in Kyiv. The parties also discussed Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s visit to Ukraine: President Zelenskyy invited her to visit Kyiv.

Ms. Tsikhanouskaya emphasized that the fates of a free Belarus and Ukraine are closely intertwined, and that she, her team, and the United Transitional Cabinet would welcome even closer cooperation with Ukraine.

Source: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

This was reported by a representative of the future People's Consulate of Belarus in Nice (the opening of which we will announce in the near future):

"This is the first instance known to us where an applicant filed for citizenship with an already expired passport and successfully obtained French citizenship.

A Belarusian who has been residing in France for a long time finally received a positive decision following his third citizenship application. While his first two attempts were made with a valid passport, the third dossier was submitted in hard copy after the Prefecture lost his previous digital filings.

During the citizenship interview at the Prefecture, the official asked detailed questions regarding the circumstances that made renewing the expired Belarusian passport impossible. The applicant provided well-founded explanations and the relevant supporting documents.

The case was processed in less than a year, and in January, he became a French citizen."

Source: People's Embassies of Belarus

According to the human rights center Viasna, since 2020, at least 100 foreign citizens have been subjected to political criminal prosecution in Belarus, 27 of them women. It is known that at least 75 of them were sent to penal colonies. As a result of the pardons, at least 29 foreigners were released with the assistance of the United States and the Ukrainian exchange. At the same time, 22 citizens of other countries remain imprisoned in Belarus. These are political prisoners with citizenship of Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, France, Latvia, and Poland. Viasna reports the current situation of political persecution of foreigners in Belarus and recalls the stories of some of them.

How many foreigners are behind bars?

Since 2020, at least 100 foreign citizens have been subjected to political criminal prosecution in Belarus. As of January 20, 2026, at least 22 foreign citizens detained for political reasons are being held behind bars. One of them is a woman, a citizen of the Russian Federation.

The foreign citizens are being held behind bars for "espionage," "assistance to extremist activities," "calls for sanctions," "participation in actions grossly violating public order," "discrediting Belarus," "an act of terrorism," and even "international terrorism." Currently, six foreigners are being held behind bars in Belarus in connection with the war in Ukraine. Five citizens of other countries are included in the so-called "terrorist list".

61 foreigners have the status of a "former political prisoner" in Belarus. At least 29 foreigners were pardoned and deported from Belarus.

Businessman with Lithuanian and French citizenship

Siarhei Botvich is a native of Belarus, but holds citizenship of Lithuania and France. The 61-year-old businessman was charged in 2022 under two articles: "espionage" (Article 358 of the Criminal Code) and "agent activity" (Article 358-1 of the Criminal Code). He was sentenced to 13 years of imprisonment.

In December 2025, one of the released prisoners told Zerkalo that political prisoner Siarhei Botvich had gone on a hunger strike. The political prisoner has serious health conditions.

"A hunger strike is a deadly risk for him," the source said, stressing the fact that Botvich's decision to go on a hunger strike indicates that he has no other options left.

A Latvian citizen undergoing compulsory medical treatment

In 2022, Dzmitry Siuko, a 45-year-old Latvian citizen, was convicted in the Court of the Čyhunačny District of Homieĺ under Article 369 of the Criminal Code (insulting a representative of the government). The man was prescribed compulsory treatment in a psychiatric hospital with enhanced supervision. His further fate and exact location are unknown to human rights defenders.

Six Ukrainian citizens are held in penal colonies 

According to Viasna, at least six Ukrainian citizens are serving time under political articles. With the outbreak of the full-scale war in Ukraine, pressure on Ukrainians in Belarus has increased. Citizens of Ukraine have been detained in Belarus for "espionage," "agent activity," and "attempted sabotage." They are suspected of collaborating with the Ukrainian special services. Recently, Viasna human rights activists published a terrible story of a family from Ukraine who were held behind bars in unbearable conditions without charge.

Pro-government sources call Siarhei and Pavel Kabarchuk, a father and a son, "saboteurs of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU)". In February 2024, a "counter-terrorist operation" state was declared in the Lieĺčycy district. Later, the KGB reported the detention of "terrorists" allegedly sent by the SBU to carry out terrorist attacks in Belarus and the Russian Federation. In October 2024, the Homieĺ Regional Court sentenced the father and son to 20 years of imprisonment and a fine of 28 thousand rubles (almost 8,300 euros). They were found guilty under Part 3 of Article 289 of the Criminal Code (act of terrorism), Part 4 of Article 295 of the Criminal Code (illegal actions related to firearms, ammunition, and explosives), Article 358-1 of the Criminal Code (agent activity), Part 3 of Article 333-1 of the Criminal Code (illegal movement of toxic substances, firearms, ammunition, explosives across the border).

Ukrainian huntsman Viachaslau Barodziy was detained on September 1, 2023, in the Jeĺsk district of Belarus, which borders the Žytomir region of Ukraine. It is known that Viachaslau was born in the Žytomir region, lived in Mazyr for some time, and then returned to Ukraine and worked as a gamekeeper, raising three children. On December 2, 2024, the Homieĺ Regional Court found Barodzii guilty under articles 295, 333-1, 358-1, 371, and 371-1 of the Criminal Code. Judge Yauhen Sharshniou found him guilty and sentenced him to 10 years of medium security imprisonment. He was also fined 22 thousand roubles (around 6,500 euros).

Ivan Likhalat was detained in September 2023, allegedly for preparing a terrorist attack on the railway in the Talačyn district and "agent activities." On December 18, 2024, Ivan was sentenced to 20 years of medium security imprisonment in a penal colony. At the same time, he will serve the first three years of his sentence in prison. 

Since 2020, about 20 citizens of Ukraine have been released by pardon and exchange.

Two Polish citizens are held behind bars in Belarus for political reasons

On September 4, 2025, state propaganda media reported the detention of a 27-year-old Polish monk in Liepieĺ. Grzegorz Gaweł is from Krakow. He is accused of "espionage" (Article 358 of the Criminal Code), allegedly for receiving the plan of the Belarusian–Russian Zapad 2025 military exercises. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Marcin Bosacki said on a television broadcast on the evening of September 4 that information about the detention of Grzegorz Gaweł by the Belarusian KGB was being checked.

In the summer of 2023, the Brest Regional Court heard the case of Tomash Biaroza, who was accused under Part 1 of Article 358-1 of the Criminal Code (agent activity) and Article 358 (espionage). He was sentenced to 14 years in a penal colony.

Recall that, as a result of a pardon with the assistance of the US State Department, on June 21, 2025, Polish citizen Yezhy Zhyvaleuski, and on December 13, Polish citizen Raman Galuza were released.

There are at least 11 political prisoners with Russian citizenship behind bars

Half of the foreigners held behind bars are Russian citizens — 11 people. Since 2020, only one case of a citizen of the Russian Federation getting pardoned has been known — it was Sofia Sapega, who was detained along with Raman Pratasevich as a result of an emergency landing of a Ryanair plane in Minsk. Two Russian citizens, Dzmitry Shlethauer and Andrei Padniabenny, died behind bars.

Recall that in the Tsikhanouski case, Dmitry Popov, a Russian citizen, was detained on June 4, 2020, and sentenced to 16 years in a penal colony. He was accused of moderating the social media pages of the Country for Life and convicted under four articles of the Criminal Code. In October 2022, it became known that the political prisoner had been transferred to a prison security level.

Yegor Dudnikov has been behind bars since 2021. The man, then 20 years old, was sentenced to 11 years in a penal colony for voicing videos and audio messages on the Telegram channel OGSB. After his detention, he was tortured. In the summer of 2022, he was transferred from the Babrujsk penal colony to the prison security level. 

On April 11, 2024, Russian citizen Aliaksei Kulikou was sentenced to 23 years in a penal colony in connection with the case of preparing sabotage in Hrodna. According to the KGB, Aliaksei photographed objects in Hrodna for the "Ukrainian special services". Kulikou was charged under Part 2 of Article 289 (act of terrorism) and Part 2 of Article 126 (act of international terrorism) of the Criminal Code. Kulikou said his last words in Ukrainian.

In June 2024, an employee of a dental clinic and a Russian citizen, Eduard Kashetsian, was sentenced to six years in a penal colony. He was detained in September 2023 for a chat where he and his friends discussed various events. Eduard was accused of "inciting hostility by a group of persons", "discrediting Belarus", "rehabilitating Nazism committed by a group of persons or with grave consequences", "participating in actions grossly violating public order", and "insulting Lukashenka". The man is serving his sentence in Mahilioŭ penal colony No. 15.

In October 2024, Aleh Sychou, who holds Russian citizenship, was sentenced to nine years in a penal colony in the Mačuliščy case. He is serving his sentence in penal colony No. 22.

In September 2025, a Russian citizen, Yaraslava Khromchankava, was convicted under articles 361-4 (promoting extremist activities) and 369-1 (discrediting Belarus) of the Criminal Code. The Homieĺ Regional Court sentenced her to three years of general security imprisonment in a penal colony. She was probably convicted in the Belarusian Hajun case.

Russian citizens Airat Khalikau, Aliaksandr Smirnou, Aliaksandr Marjasau, Maksim Heliasin, and Pavel Aliakseyeu are also behind bars.

Source: Human Rights Center "Viasna" 

A newly published directive states that passports of Belarusians residing in Spain will be recognized as valid even after their expiration date, without the need to obtain a cédula de inscripción.

This outcome is the result of agreements reached between Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Office and the Spanish authorities. On June 20, 2025, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya reached an agreement on this matter with Minister of Foreign Affairs José Manuel Albares, and the arrangements were finalized in January 2026 with the support of other ministries.

On January 22, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya thanked the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain, José Manuel Albares, for an important decision for Belarusians: Spain will recognize expired passports of Belarusian citizens. This will allow people to continue handling administrative and migration issues without additional barriers. This decision addresses the suspension of consular services at Belarusian embassies, which has left many citizens abroad without a way to renew their passports.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “I sincerely thank the authorities of Spain for this decision. And I also thank the Belarusian diaspora in Malaga, Alicante, Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid, and the Canary Islands, who consistently helped advance it. This was a huge effort, made possible thanks to many people on both sides. Thank you all. This is a case where long-term work produces a very concrete result for Belarusians”.

Source: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya took part in the international briefing “Can Russia Sustain a Wartime Economy?”, which focused on the political and security consequences of Russia’s war economy for Europe. The briefing was also attended by the Prime Minister of Moldova, Alexandru Munteanu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania, Oana-Silvia Țoiu, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, David van Weel.

The participants discussed the effectiveness of sanctions, their impact on Russia’s ability to wage war, and the decisions facing European leaders. 

In response to a question about the partial easing of US sanctions, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya noted that these sanctions are aimed at securing the release of people and may be eased if repression stops, while European Union sanctions have a much stronger impact and must remain in place until long-term changes are achieved, including an end to the regime’s involvement in the war, the restoration of Belarus’ sovereignty, and its transformation into a democratic country.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Without sanctions and international isolation, the Lukashenka regime would not have begun releasing political prisoners. It is not acting out of humanity – sanctions hurt, isolation hurts, and he understands that he has reached a dead end. That is why he is willing to hand over even his most dangerous opponents in exchange for relief. But lifting or substantially easing sanctions against the regime is dangerous, as it directly strengthens Russia: Belarus’ economy works for Russia’s war machine, Belarus is used as a route to circumvent sanctions, and its enterprises are involved in weapons production”.

Source: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

Since 2020, more than 3,000 political prisoners have been released from imprisonment. But for many of them, freedom becomes a new challenge, with the consequences of incarceration, which often require long-term rehabilitation and re-socialization. Detention in a cold isolation cell, psychological pressure and physical violence, unbearable conditions of detention, and lack of vitamins and high-quality nutrition affect both the human psyche and health. Some political prisoners face various kinds of illnesses while imprisoned, and some have health problems after their release. Another factor exacerbating the already catastrophic situation is the lack of high-quality and timely medical care within the penitentiary system. The consequences of such conditions have already had a fatal result: nine political prisoners have died due to health problems and conditions of imprisonment.

Four former political prisoners, who are currently recovering from long-term imprisonment, spoke about the conditions of detention that affected their psychological and physical state, the illnesses that developed or intensified in correctional institutions, as well as the challenges they faced when they were already free. Human rights defender Katsiaryna (name changed for security reasons), who works with former political prisoners after their release, also spoke about the general situation with medical care behind bars and how conditions of detention can affect health. Based on the collected evidence and the comments of a human rights defender, Viasna has prepared a review of the health consequences of the imprisonment of former political prisoners.

"Most health complaints are ignored, and people receive almost no diagnosis or treatment"

Criminal sentences in Belarus have been passed regularly since 2020. The courts put people behind bars without taking into account their state of health and the severity of the disease. As of January 15, 2026, human rights activists are aware of at least 163 political prisoners who are at particular risk behind bars, including people with serious health conditions.

In total, nine political prisoners have already died behind bars since 2021.

Katsiaryna, a human rights activist, works with former political prisoners who undergo examinations and treatment after their release. She described the overall situation with medical care in places of detention: 

"Medical care in pre-trial detention is very poor. Most health complaints are ignored, and people receive almost no diagnosis and treatment. In extreme situations, medical workers can measure blood pressure and temperature. Patient are given only paracetamol, but it is not easy to obtain it for them either.

The situation in the penal colonies is a little better and already depends more on the doctors. Some are doing their job honestly, helping as much as they can, but there are also many whose work does not comply with the norms of ethics and deontology."

Viasna spoke with former political prisoners who are currently undergoing rehabilitation after their imprisonment and are recovering their physical and mental health.

No access to quality medical care

Former political prisoner Maryia (name changed for security reasons), who has been behind bars for more than two years, notes that it is very difficult to get an appointment with a doctor in Homieĺ women's penal colony No. 4:

"It is generally very difficult to take care of your health when you're imprisoned. On certain days, special papers are placed on a table in the detachments for making an appointment with a doctor. Let's say you need to see a therapist and a gynecologist. Only two or three people can make an appointment with a particular doctor. Therefore, not everyone makes one. For example, there was a period when there were a lot of inflammations throughout the penal colony. Literally all squads were sick. And imagine, only two or three people can get to the doctor. It's not normal. Ill people were forced to go to the factory, clean snow, be on duty, and wash toilets."

Urological and gynecological problems

Ukrainian Liudmila Hancharenka is one of the political prisoners who were exchanged as prisoners of war in June 2024. A year after her release, the former political prisoner was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. She is currently undergoing treatment. Liudmila says that due to poor, unsanitary conditions in the pre-trial detention centre, she developed vaginal candidiasis and cystitis: 

"After I was released, I was diagnosed with chronic cystitis. I've never had one before. In prison, I had candidiasis (yeast infection). I had never had one before I was incarcerated. No one prescribed me treatment there. I bought baking soda at the store and washed myself with it. No one gave me pills. In the pre-trial detention center, I asked several times to be taken to a gynecologist, but, of course, they did not.

It's all because of the terrible unsanitary conditions. No matter how much you clean the toilet bowl, if there are 12 people in the cell, you know what happens."

Activist and former political prisoner Pavel Vinahradau, who was released and forcibly deported from the country after almost four years of imprisonment, says that kidney problems after a cold punitive isolation cell (SHIZO) are common among prisoners.

"This problem has not affected me. But because of sitting on cold tiles, I had prostatitis. I had a bad two weeks after that. But it just sort of disappeared in my case."

Tuberculosis incidence behind bars

In 2022, Pavel was diagnosed with tuberculosis in penal colony No. 11 in Vaŭkavysk. For treatment, he was transferred to a specially designed penal colony No. 12 in Orša.

Additional examinations were conducted there, which confirmed the diagnosis. After that, Pavel was given a document to sign stating that he agreed to special accelerated treatment. If treatment usually takes 18 months, Pavel was offered to complete it in six months. Pavel agreed. About a week after signing this document, the political prisoner was sent to SHIZO. 

"When you're not in SHIZO and you're diagnosed with tuberculosis, then you have an hour for sleeping or resting during the day, but you don't have one in SHIZO. As if when you're in SHIZO it's easier to have your diagnosis. I believe that a rest hour is necessary, perhaps because of the side effects of medications. I have not felt tuberculosis as such. But I felt sick for one and a half to two hours a day from taking medication. Because you really have to eat a handful at once. 

And so there was no rest hour in SHIZO, but I felt bad because of the pills. I lay down on the floor, for which new violation reports were drawn up against me and my term in SHIZO was prolonged.

That's how they cured me from tuberculosis."

Health consequences after SHIZO

The placement of prisoners in SHIZO is a common practice, used by the administration of the institution in response to the violations of internal regulations by a prisoner. But in practice, this is one of the popular methods of putting pressure on both political and ordinary prisoners. According to former political prisoners, conditions in SHIZO are especially harsh between seasons, when there is no heating and, consequently, people are tortured with cold, since they are not allowed to have warm clothes or blankets. In addition, due to the constant cold, people cannot sleep — this is what former political prisoners call "cold torture."

According to Maryia, it was about 16 °C in SHIZO of Homieĺ women's penal colony No. 4. Due to the extreme cold, the woman had to constantly sit near the radiator. After a while, water blisters formed on her buttocks from constant friction.

The woman was placed in SHIZO while she had a severe cough and fever: 

"In SHIZO, if you have two pairs of socks, thin and thick ones, then the latter pair will be taken away. In winter, they left us leggings, and in summer everyone had bare legs. I was put there when I was ill. I had a fever and an awful cough. People slept there on bare boards. And so I coughed so hard all night that in the morning my cough just disappeared. I was so scared that I was just going to die.

You don't sleep there all night. You fall asleep and wake up from the cold. It's unbearable. This is the torture with sleep deprivation and cold, which, of course, affected my health. After SHIZO, I couldn't stand on my left heel for six months. Maybe I had a sciatic nerve inflammation. I don't know. No one has done any examinations for me. I had a sharp pain in my heel."

Dental problems

Former political prisoners often note the lack of dental treatment in places of detention — teeth are simply removed. Human rights activist Katsiaryna notes that dental problems among prisoners are perhaps the most common phenomenon:

"There is a terrible problem with dental care. Teeth are the first thing that deteriorates in prison, and almost every prisoner has been to a dentist at least once. Dentists rarely work, there is a long waiting list, and most often they do not even do fillings, but simply remove the tooth. The filling that is done is of very poorly quality. Periodontal disease is absolutely not treated in any way, which eventually leads to teeth falling out. Treatment without anesthesia is also very common. There are cases where a person could, for a week, have acute gumboil — hellish pain, fever, swollen face — and not only could he not receive dental treatment and antibiotics, but he was also forced to work in the industrial area."

Inhumane conditions of detention

According to human rights activist Katsiaryna, lifestyle is one of the main factors affecting human health. But in the terrible conditions of detention, prisoners cannot lead a proper lifestyle.

"In prison, almost everything related to lifestyle is unhealthy. There is a lack of proper nutrition, normal lighting, normal microclimate, and normal physical activity, which is insufficient in pre-trial detention centers, and in penal colonies, it is often excessive and unbalanced. Overcrowding and poor sanitary conditions exacerbate the spread of infectious diseases."

After recovering from COVID, Kiryl (name changed for security reasons) developed thrombosis (a dangerous malfunction of the circulatory system with blood clots forming in the vessels. They interfere with the free movement of blood and can cause serious health consequences. — editor's note). With regular medical examinations, prescribed medications, and the use of compression underwear, the effects could be minimized. But in the penal colony, due to the need to adhere to the rules of internal order, it is impossible to apply those measures.

"As doctors used to tell me, the consequences cannot be cured, but they can be compensated. But I couldn't wear these compression underwear in the penal colony. There is a strict schedule: wake up at 6 am, then 15 minutes to use the toilet, brush your teeth, and you have to shave, and at 6:15 it's already exercises. And you need to put on this underwear before you get out of bed. And you can't do it all in 15 minutes. And the procedure itself is quite complicated and requires physical exertion. It was impossible in those conditions."

Kiryl notes that if you are late, you can get a penalty and be put in SHIZO, where it is also impossible to use special underwear.

The impact of stress on health

Stress accompanies a person throughout the entire term of imprisonment. Not only does it make daily life difficult, but after release, it can lead to long-term psychological and physical problems requiring long-term rehabilitation.

According to Maryia, she often had boils (acute purulent-necrotic inflammation) because of stress. 

"This abscess grows bigger, then the core starts to come out, but you can't have the wound dressed. I remember when I went to the doctor, I just cried. Because the wound was open, my hands were dirty all the time, and I wiped the pus with toilet paper. I still remember that stress." 

Now the woman is working with a psychotherapist. Maryia was diagnosed with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and depression.

The woman was released a year ago, but still has to undergo treatment, examinations, and work with a psychotherapist. She recently underwent surgery to remove a hernia that had increased due to her hard work in the penal colony.

"In no case should we forget about the terrible consequences of the penal colony for political prisoners. I have dreams about it. You're in front of everyone 24/7, and you can't even cry. It's terribly difficult for the psychological state."

Oncological diseases

In Belarus, people with diagnosed cancer are often detained and imprisoned. For example, in the fall of 2024, Ukrainian Nadzeya Nikalayuk was detained almost immediately after a surgery to remove lymphoma from her armpit. She underwent her first course of chemotherapy and was captured right in the clinic where she went to see her doctor. According to the testimony of her cellmate, the woman's stitches broke open at Akrescina. For more than a year, Nadzeya was heldin a pre-trial detention centre on the charge of "agent activity." On November 22, 2025, the woman was pardoned and taken to Ukraine. It is known that medical care was provided to the woman in the pre-trial detention centre.

Source: Human Rights Center "Viasna" 

During the World Economic Forum in Davos, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held a meeting with the CEO of PKO Bank Polski, Szymon Midera. PKO is the largest state-owned bank in Poland, ranking first in the country by the number of individual and corporate Belarusian clients.

Mr. Midera assured Ms. Tsikhanouskaya that the bank has always sought and will continue to support Belarusians. The existing restrictions are not related to politics or decisions made by the bank itself; rather, the bank operates under new European Union regulations adopted in response to the war and aimed primarily at closing loopholes used by the regimes in Belarus and Russia to circumvent sanctions.

The parties discussed the most acute problems related to Belarusians opening bank accounts, particularly for those who do not yet have residence permits or work permits in Poland, or whose passports have expired, and how these issues could be resolved, including at the European level. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya proposed possible solutions, including the introduction of exemptions for Belarusians, which would require additional consultations with European regulators. They also discussed opportunities to support small Belarusian businesses and to hold joint events.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “We discussed the urgent problems faced by thousands of Belarusians in Poland. Mr. Midera understands very well that we are talking about people who live legally in Poland, pay taxes, build businesses, and contribute to the economy. Their lives require clear, transparent, and secure rules. It is precisely such solutions that protect both banks and people and strengthen European solidarity at a time when Belarus is fighting for freedom and independence”.

Recently, the Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet and Head of the National Anti-Crisis Management, Pavel Latushka, sent official appeals to the Polish Financial Supervision Authority and PKO Bank Polski to put an end to excessive account blockings and to reaffirm the right of Belarusians legally residing in Poland to use bank accounts on the basis of temporary documents.

Source: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

During a visit to Madrid, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Diplomatic Advisor, Dzianis Kuchynski, held a meeting with the State Secretary for Foreign and Global Affairs, Diego Martínez Belío.

The parties identified key areas of cooperation with the democratic forces of Belarus and discussed pressing international and humanitarian issues, the situation of political prisoners, as well as the sanctions of the European Union and Spain against the Lukashenka regime.

A separate topic of the meeting was the opening of a Mission of Democratic Belarus in Madrid, which could become an important coordination hub for the activities of the democratic forces and for supporting Belarusians in Spain.

Mr. Kuchynski handed over to Mr. Martínez Belío a document outlining existing problems and possible ways to address them. The document was prepared based on proposals from Belarusians living in Spain. Particular attention was paid to the recognition of expired Belarusian passports for those who cannot return to Belarus to renew them, as well as to the development of national guidelines for Spanish authorities when considering residency procedures.

State Secretary Martínez Belío confirmed that he understands the complexity of the issues raised and is giving them personal attention. He expressed readiness to support efforts to resolve them and to submit the necessary appeals aimed at supporting Belarusians in Spain.

Dzianis Kuchynski: “I specifically flew to Madrid to hold a high-level meeting with the State Secretary, who is the second-in-command to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain. Our conversation lasted almost three hours – this shows how seriously the Spanish side views cooperation with the democratic forces of Belarus, as well as the problems faced by Belarusians. We agreed on practical next steps regarding possible support for Belarusians living in Spain. Diego Martínez Belío assured us that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to assist in advancing and resolving these issues together with other state bodies”.

At the Spanish Parliament, Dzianis Kuchynski and the future Head of the Mission of the Democratic Belarus in Madrid,Tatsiana Marinich, met with members of Congress to discuss possible avenues for further cooperation and support for the Belarusian community. In addition to supporting the Belarusian diaspora in Spain, one of the future Mission’s focus areas will be humanitarian assistance for the rehabilitation of former Belarusian political prisoners near Alicante, jointly with Imaguru, A Country to Live In Foundation, the International Humanitarian Fund, and other organizations. Spain has already allocated €50,000 to the International Humanitarian Fund. During the meeting with State Secretary Diego Martínez Belío, Dzianis Kuchynski also discussed the continuation of this support.

A special note of thanks is extended to all organizations and individuals for their help in collecting and sharing important information.

Source: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

It is unacceptable for the future of the Belarusian people to be decided without their participation — "nothing about us without us".

The narrative that Europe needs to talk to Lukashenko is ambiguous. It is noteworthy that democratic forces are excluded from this process. It is as if they do not exist. This means the idea is for the EU to negotiate with Lukashenko over the heads of democratic forces and the democratically minded part of Belarusians.

We do not share this approach, which is why our proposal is a Round Table and National Dialogue, where democratic forces and Belarusian society are direct actors, not passive observers. The Belarusian crisis must be resolved primarily by Belarusians and Belarusian politicians representing them — in a sovereign dialogue. Otherwise, we simply hand over Belarusian politics into someone else’s hands.

Lukashenko has always unilaterally broken agreements with the EU. The time has long come to negotiate with Belarusian society. Belarusians have proven their agency, enduring the most massive repression Europe has seen in decades.

Therefore, Lukashenko must take substantial steps to change internal repressive and external aggressive policies.

If Lukashenko and his elites are not ready to start a dialogue, they should continue to live under sanctions and pressure.

The role of European allies is undoubtedly important, but we cannot simply delegate the fate of our country to someone else or outsource the resolution of the Belarusian crisis. We are actors, not objects. This is the essence of being what is called Belarusian democratic forces and Belarusian politicians.

When evaluating the role and approaches of European partners toward Belarus and Lukashenko, it is important not to forget that Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine continues, and European countries stand fundamentally on Ukraine’s side and clearly assess Lukashenko’s role in the aggression against Ukraine.

We count on European partners to give a very clear response to Lukashenko regarding his intentions to repeat, once again, the story of dialogue with Europe. First, he must negotiate with society. Negotiating with society means implementing systemic, not cosmetic, changes to internal repressive and external aggressive policies.

Source: NAM

On January 14, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki. This was the first bilateral meeting in Warsaw since Mr. Nawrocki was elected; previously, the leaders had met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya thanked President Nawrocki and Poland for their support for Belarus and the Belarusian people, for their consistent and principled position, for providing aid to released political prisoners and those subjected to repression, as well as for backing the democratic movement. She noted that the Belarusian issue in Poland unites both the government and the opposition, as well as all political parties. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya outlined the priorities of the democratic forces, both abroad and inside the country.

Karol Nawrocki and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya discussed the releases of political prisoners, the situation of Andrzej Poczobut, relations with the US administration, and regional security. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya expressed hope that the releases would continue and that Poland would continue to provide the necessary support to those released, as it has done throughout the year, including with legal documents and assistance with residency issues. She thanked Poland for continuing to receive Belarusians facing persecution at home.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya proposed several joint initiatives to President Nawrocki in support of the Belarusian community in Poland, in the areas of historical heritage, culture, and literature. She invited him to take part in Belarusian festivals and amateur sports competitions organized by Belarusians, and suggested involving Belarus in regional-format initiatives such as the Lublin Triangle.

She presented the President with the draft Concept for the Establishment of the Institute of National Remembrance of Belarus, developed by the democratic forces. The Institute would help people learn the truth about repression during the Soviet period and in recent years through access to archives and testimonies, and would also help the state cleanse its bureaucratic system of flawed practices inherited from the past. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya noted that the democratic forces are working on the New Belarus Vision, developing reform packages, and drawing, among other things, on the experience of Poland’s transformation.

In conclusion, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya presented President Nawrocki with a set of books by Sergiusz Piasecki translated into Belarusian. Piasecki, one of Nawrocki’s favorite writers, was born in the territory of present-day Belarus, was a dissident, and wrote about the lives of Belarusians and Poles in the interwar period, as well as about Belarusian and Polish resistance to Soviet occupation.

Also on January 14, a meeting with the Belarusian democratic community took place at the Belvedere Palace. More than 150 people attended, including journalists, bloggers, cultural figures, human rights defenders, politicians, actors and musicians, and athletes.

Source: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

Summary: 

• The human rights situation in Belarus remains grave. Repression against dissidents, protest participants, journalists, and human rights defenders continues.

• Authoritative international organizations have established gross violations of human rights and crimes against humanity committed by the Belarusian authorities.

• Despite the Belarusian authorities’ efforts to conceal the extent of criminal and administrative repression, Viasna continues to receive information about detentions and prosecutions on political grounds. Since 2020, the Viasna Human Rights Center has documented more than 8,000 convictions in politically motivated criminal cases, including 39 individuals sent for compulsory psychiatric treatment; at least 1,963 of the convicts are women.

• At least 1,254 people were convicted in the past year, 355 of whom were women.

• The number of political prisoners remains critically high. As of December 31, 2025, there were 1,131 political prisoners in Belarus, 167 of whom were women. Since May 2020, the total number of individuals recognized as political prisoners has exceeded 4,339. As of this time, 3,208 individuals have been released from custody for various reasons, including the completion of sentences, release from punishment, or a change in restriction level. Among these individuals, 659 are female.

• According to data available to Viasna, in 2025, at least 2,384 individuals experienced various forms of repression related to criminal or administrative prosecution during the previous year, including arrests, interrogations, and searches. Women made up almost 30% of the repressed. It is important to note that this number should not be compared with data from previous years. The conditions for collecting data on repression have changed dramatically since the beginning of 2025. Authorities now withhold data on politically motivated persecution and discourage activities aimed at collecting such data.

• Political prisoners are subjected to particularly harsh conditions, stringent oversight, and restrictions that are not provided for by law. Consequently, many political prisoners are subjected to disciplinary deprivation of privileges, including care packages containing medicines, visits from family members, spouses, and legal counsel. Furthermore, correspondence by political prisoners is subject to arbitrary restrictions. No fewer than three political prisoners are being held incommunicado. Two political prisoners, Valiantsin Shtermer and Andrei Podnebenny, died in correctional facilities in 2025. A total of nine political prisoners died in correctional facilities and remand centers since 2020.

• Political prisoners are subjected to forced labor at low wages; upon their release after serving their sentences, political prisoners are subjected to strict control beyond the regular supervision of released convicts; the rights of convicts are further restricted by the consequences of being included in the List of Persons Involved in Extremist and Terrorist Activities.

• In politically motivated administrative, criminal, and civil cases, the courts continue to function as an instrument of repression against the accused. The independence of the courts has been eroded.

• Activities of NGOs and civil initiatives are regularly subject to arbitrary criminalization.

• The persecution of peaceful expression continues under the guise of fighting terrorism and extremism.

• Journalists, media employees, and bloggers continued to face repression.

• Torture and other prohibited treatments on political grounds continue to be practiced in Belarus. There have been no investigations or prosecutions at the national level of those responsible for widespread torture and other gross human rights violations in August 2020 and beyond.

• Discrimination across various spheres persists because the state fails to take steps to prevent it. The authorities demonize LGBTQ+ individuals and establish legal grounds for persecuting them based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, and reproductive choices.

• In February 2025, through a fraudulent election, the authorities renewed Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s mandate as President of the Republic of Belarus for another five years.

Source: Human Rights Center "Viasna" 

On December 12, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held a meeting with the Vice-President of the European Parliament, Pina Picierno, at the Office in Vilnius. The parties discussed the current situation of political prisoners in Belarus, regional security, and the role of the European Union in countering authoritarianism.

They also discussed the Third Cross-Party Forum “8+100”, scheduled to take place on March 3–4 at the European Parliament, where representatives of 8 Belarusian and 100 European political parties are expected to participate. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya invited Pina Picierno to join the forum and support the engagement of a larger number of MEPs.

Ms. Tsikhanouskaya proposed continuing the practice of symbolic godparenthood for political prisoners and organizing a Congress of Political Prisoners’ Godparents in Berlin to make this mechanism more effective.

In addition, the meeting covered support for Belarus’ European perspective and the preparation of a roadmap for closer cooperation with the EU and the Council of Europe.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya thanked Pina Picierno for her consistent support for Belarus, including her participation in the opening of the Belarusian Democratic Community Center and shelter in Florence, as well as for her personal solidarity with political prisoners.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “The support of partners like Pina Picierno helps keep Belarus in the focus of European politics and serves as a reminder that without a free Belarus, there can be no secure Europe”.

Source: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

In the spring of 2025, Ukrainian citizens Volha and Mikalai (names changed for the safety of their child in the Russian-occupied territory of Ukraine) came to Belarus from a European country where they had lived since 2023. The city where they lived in Ukraine is now occupied by Russia. They planned to move to a village in Belarus, find a simple job, and be able to meet their son, who lives in the Russian-occupied territory and can only travel with a Russian passport. But Volha and Mikalai were detained shortly after they moved. They were accused of espionage, terrorism, and other serious political crimes. For six months, they were kept in inhumane conditions without care packages, a change of clothes, and hygiene products. Mikalai was tortured by suffocation, forced to plead guilty, beaten, bullied, and blackmailed with sexual violence against his wife to such a state that he stopped talking and developed psychological problems. After experiencing torture and psychological pressure in Belarus, the man stutters heavily and has difficulty speaking. The couple is currently undergoing rehabilitation with the help of Ukrainian specialists. Viasna spoke with Volha and Mikalai about what they had to endure behind bars in Belarus before they were transferred to Ukraine.

"A masked officer put a gun to the back of her head"

Mikalai and Viasna arrived in Belarus in the spring of 2025. They got a job and registered with the migration service. In June, Volha recalls, her husband received a call from the migration service and was asked to come and sign some documents. 

"When we went there, I had a bad feeling about it. I told my wife: we're about to be arrested. And she said: 'Who needs you?' At that moment, the special forces officers rushed out with weapons. She was placed facing the wall. One masked officer put a gun to the back of her head, while the other pointed a weapon at her back in the direction of her heart. I saw it from below. They threw me on the ground and twisted my head so that I could watch it all. They twisted my arms in my shoulders. When they handcuffed me, I was loudly asked to say my last name and citizenship," Mikalai recalls.

"They hit me in the stomach and on the head without explaining anything"

After the detention, Volha was placed in one room, and Miakalai in another. The man talks in detail about what happened behind the wall that separated him from his wife:

"They brought me to the basement, put me on my knees, foot over foot, hands behind my back in handcuffs, and told me to stand on the concrete floor like that. I stood there for maybe two hours. Two masked officers were walking around. When I tried to change my position somehow, I got hit either in the stomach or on the head. After a hard blow to the head, I fell. They tried to put me back, but I couldn't stand on my knees. Then they brought an iron chair and put me on it. My feet were tied to the chair with zip ties, and my hands were still handcuffed. I sat there for another six hours.

I asked them to loosen the handcuffs, but they laughed. And then it turned out that the handcuff on my right hand was tightened so much that it broke. They didn't know how to take them off, and they said: 'We're going to saw off your hands now.' At that time, they were beating me in the stomach and on the head without explaining anything. Two hours later, a masked officer came and said, 'We all know you're a spy. We saw what's in your phone.' He also said that my wife allegedly told them everything. He promised to let her go if I testified that I was a spy."

So Mikalai was interrogated and beaten until late in the evening, after which he was taken to a polygraph examination. This interrogation, according to the man's estimates, lasted about four hours.

"Every day they took me down to the basement and tortured me"

The next day, the interrogations and pressure on Volha and Mikalai continued. When the working day at the police station began, the man was taken back to the basement.

"I was taken to a small cell without a window and a washbasin. There was just a hole for a toilet and a bed fastened to the wall. I was there until the middle of June. Every day they took me down to the basement for interrogation and tortured me. They undressed me... And my body couldn't stand it... Then I cleaned it all with my clothes. Then they lifted me back into the cell." 

Volha and Mikalai were kept in isolation cells and taken out for interrogations so that they did not see each other. Volha was not given a mattress or a pillow in the temporary detention facility, and she did not have access to water either:

"They gave me two liters of bottled water for a day and said: drink or wash yourself, as you wish. They also opened the window for it to be cold. June was very cold in Belarus, so I got sick there."

"They put a plastic bag over my head and tightened it"

At that time, Mikalai was brought to a regional center, but immediately after being registered in a temporary detention facility, he was taken away by KGB officers. The man shared with difficulty what happened to him next:

"The torture in the basement started again... They put a plastic bag over my head and tightened it. I was sitting in my underwear on a chair with handcuffs that were attached to the chair. They tighten the bag around my neck, and I couldn't breathe. When the bag stuck so tightly to my face that it was impossible to breathe, I shook my head, but it didn't help... When I lost consciousness, they tore open the bag and hit my ears many times. They slapped both of my ears and the back of my head at the same time, many times. I fell off the chair, but they picked me up and did it all over again many times. They took me up to an office and asked if I would continue to remain silent. But I didn't do anything. Then they told me to think about it until tomorrow and returned me to that small cell in the temporary detention facility. The music was playing very loud there all the time. They stripped me and took off my shoes and I walked barefoot on the concrete floor.

They kept me there for about 90 days. Every other day, I was tortured in various ways and taken for interrogations. And when they realized that I wouldn't say anything, they brought my wife and said that now she would be tortured. I asked them not to torture her. To this, the boss said that she would not be tortured and they had found another use for her. He started showing me pictures of her, ostensibly. It was a woman who looked like my wife. He also promised to show a video and said that she is beautiful. 'We value such a product as a Ukrainian tart. At least we will have some fun.' Then they started pressuring me and saying that my son had been arrested too. It went on for a very long time. They didn't let me sleep. I had to get up three times a night."

"If I didn't sign the document saying that I was a spy, she would die on an operating table"

Harsh conditions were created in the temporary detention facility where Mikalai was held between interrogations and torture, just like for his wife.

"The water in the punishment cell was turned on for me once every few days so that I could clean it up. But I just didn't eat, you know... I didn't have any toilet paper. I asked the guard for soap to wash the toilet, and at least I could drink the water from it. I was constantly harassed and threatened. They took me to the KGB all the time. After some time, they said that my wife needed an urgent surgery, and if I didn't sign the document saying that I was a spy, she would die on an operating table. And if I admitted that, then she would be saved. Then I agreed to sign, because I know that she had already had surgery in 2016 and she almost died then. It was their first victory," says the man.

Volha says that she really had an operation:

"They took me to a regional center for the surgery. I needed to be hospitalized, but the convoy employees who escorted me to the hospital refused because there was no one to keep an eye on me. They cut me in a gynecological chair, cleaned me, and sent me back to this prison. I was told that since I don't have health insurance, no one will pay anything for me."

"I started hearing sounds and going crazy"

All this time, the woman was in solitary confinement, which, according to her, began to affect her psychological state:

"I started hearing sounds and going crazy. They started worrying for me, maybe, and transferred me to a cell with girls. Nine girls were serving their days of detention there.

I once asked for an appointment with the head of the temporary detention facility so that he would explain to me what I was accused of. When I came to him, he told me (literally): 'You're a f*cking terrorist, and so is your husband. You're f*cked up. Soon, I won't need you here at all. You don't have a right to anything: no care packages, no calls, no lawyers. You're nobody here, and your name is no one.'"

In total, the woman was held in temporary detention facilities for six months.

"My underwear was torn to such an extent that I was already trying not to wear it. I was in the isolation cell all the time, but they searched me all the time anyway. Every day, I had to undress and squat naked," Volha says.

"He said that they had given my wife as a gift to the railway administration"

All this time, the interrogations and tortures of Mikalai continued.

"An employee came and said that I had allegedly done this and that [espionage activities, terrorism, etc.]. I told him that I didn't do it. Then he asked, 'Do you want to save your wife from what she's doing? Then sign it!' But I said I didn't believe them. He smiled and said that soon it would be Railway Worker's Day and they had given my wife as a gift to the railway administration. They took her to a sauna. He said he would show me a video of what she was doing there... And he left. A few days later, he came and started showing me a video, as if there was my wife there with these men... The employee said, 'Look how she likes it.' I wanted to say something to him, but instead I just mumbled... I stopped speaking at all then."

"I can't imagine what they did to him to make him stutter like that!"

During one of the subsequent interrogations, Mikalai was promised once again that his wife and her son would be released if he agreed to plead guilty and be imprisoned.

"I agreed. But the dates kept changing in the charges, as well as the location and my actions. Everything was completely changed at least four times. And when they finally finished everything, they promised me a meeting with my wife. They told me that if I signed everything, she would definitely be released. I agreed. In mid-October, we had a five-minute meeting at the temporary detention facility. She cried and asked me to sign everything, as she can no longer be there. I said I was doing everything I could to get her released. They took her away, and I signed everything."

Volha says that she did not recognize her husband at the meeting and does not understand what needs to be done to a person to bring them to such a state:

"My husband started stuttering. When I saw him in the detention center, I recognized him only by his clothes. I can't imagine what they did to him to make him stutter like that! People look like this at the fourth stage of cancer... What they did to him is just a nightmare! If I was broken only psychologically, but he was also broken physically. Our lives were ruined and six months were cut out of it."

After several months in the detention center, a criminal case was officially initiated against Mikalai for espionage, "terrorism", and "extremism," as well as sabotage.

"One day, a KGB officer came and said: 'Your wife lives with me and now she's my lover.' He was showing her pictures again... It lasted all the time... It was terrible."

"I couldn't believe for a long time that I was released"

At the end of November, Volha was woken up at 3:00 a.m. and told to get ready. Downstairs, she was met by masked men who blindfolded her, handcuffed her, and put her in a minibus. The woman was driven for a long time, and when the blindfold was removed, she saw a Ukrainian bus saying Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. Volha's release was unexpected for her.

The journey took about five hours. Volha's passport had a note indicating her deportation from Belarus and a fifty-year ban on entry. Volha has not been officially charged, and she has not signed any documents. The woman has only papers confirming her detention in a temporary detention facility.

A few weeks later, Mikalai was taken out of a punishment cell and taken to the Ukrainian border. He was released as part of a group of 123 political prisoners and five citizens of Ukraine.

"They're doing this to people there! I went to the bathroom, and they poured urine on top of me. During an interrogation, they put me in a chair for the disabled with a hole in the middle. They sat me down on this chair and beat me in the crotch with their feet or sticks," the man recalls new facts of violence.

Volha and Mikalai are currently undergoing rehabilitation with the help of Ukrainian specialists.

Source: Human Rights Center "Viasna"