#FreeViasna

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5 human rights defenders
in prison
200 + interrogations
in Viasna case
120 + raids
on Viasna members

Viasna case

Viasna case is a series of criminal investigations targeting the organization's leaders and regular members for their human rights activities and assistance to people in defending their rights and public interests.

Five Viasna members are currently in prison: chairperson and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, Viasna deputy chairperson and FIDH vice-president Valiantsin Stefanovic, lawyer Uladzimir Labkovich, coordinator of Viasna's network of volunteers Marfa Rabkova, and volunteer Andrei Chapiuk.

Volunteer Tatsiana Lasitsa was released on September 24, 2022. Head of Viasna's office in Homieĺ Leanid Sudalenka, was released from penal colony on July 21, 2023 having completed his sentence.

The three leaders of Viasna, Ales Bialiatski, Uladzimir Labkovich, and Valiantsin Stefanovic, were accused of "smuggling" (Part 4, Article 228 of the Criminal Code) and "financing group actions that disrupted public order" (Part 2, Article 342 of the Criminal Code). On March 3, 2023, the human rights defenders were sentenced to 10, 9 and 7 years in prison, respectively.

Leanid Sudalenka was sentenced to 3 years in prison, Tatsiana Lasitsa — to 2.5 years, Marfa Rabkova — to 14 years and 9 months, and Andrei Chapiuk — to 5 years and 9 months in prison.

More about Viasna case

Human rights defenders in prison

Алесь Бяляцкі
Viasna chairperson
Валянцін Стэфановіч
Viasna deputy chairperson
Уладзімір Лабковіч
Viasna lawyer
Марфа Рабкова
coordinator of Viasna's network of volunteers
Андрэй Чапюк
Viasna volunteer
Леанід Судаленка
head of Viasna's office in Homieĺ
Таццяна Ласіца
Viasna volunteer

Timeline of persecution

Defenders in prison

The timeline is a collection of consecutive facts highlighting arrests, searches, and other forms of persecution of our colleagues behind bars.

It also features most significant events for the human rights defenders and the entire civil society of Belarus: international statements, events, and awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Ales Bialiatski.

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