Skip to main content
Image
Belarus flag

Belarus

Population: 9,200,617 (01.01.2023) | GDP per capita: 7,888.3 USD (2022) | Number of CSOs: 20 trade unions; 1,973 public associations (177 international, 572 national and 1,224 local) as of 01.01.2024; 227 foundations as of 01.01.2022; and an unknown quantity of private institutions that meet the criteria of a CSO. This number includes the several hundred CSOs for which decisions on liquidation were made during 2022-2023 but that have not yet been excluded from the register of legal entities and have not passed all the stages of liquidation. | CSOs per 10,000 inhabitants: around 3.5 | Registration fee for a CSO: 18.5 BYN for private institutions; 185 BYN for local foundations and local public associations; 370 BYN for national and international public associations and for national and international foundations (approximately 5 EUR/51 EUR/102 EUR). | Freedom in the World: 8/100 (Not Free) | World Press Freedom Index: 37.17 (157 out of 180 countries).

Overall situation and state of civil society

Image
Belarus Court Building, modern architecture, with Belarusian flag in the middle, front yard in the front of the photo.

In 2021, the environment for civil society organisations (CSOs) in Belarus has significantly deteriorated in all 11 areas measured by the CSO Meter and a number of new restrictive practices which are not in line with international standards have occurred.
Belarus suspended its participation in the Eastern Partnership (EaP) programme1 , and the government of Belarus announced a new political course aimed at the destruction of CSOs. Numerous Belarusian CSOs either fully or partially transferred their activities abroad and the CSOs and media that remain in the country operate under conditions of censorship, self-censorship, repression and the constant threat of arrest. The work undertaken to improve the conditions for CSOs over recent decades has been effectively undone in 2021.

The general context of the situation in Belarus is characterized by the continuation of the political crisis that emerged after the disputed presidential elections in Belarus in August 2020, the outburst of protests that followed and the repressive campaign to suppress them. In the first half of 2021, the authorities’ new repressive practices were consolidated in a package of legislative measures that systematically and broadly restrict public activities.
In the first half of 2021, new laws legalised the repressive actions of the authorities that had been used only arbitrarily since 2020. These laws have been broadly used against dissidents, political opponents, members of political parties, human rights defenders, journalists, leaders and activists of CSOs and informal groups, participants and initiators of protest actions, and individuals who have publicly expressed their disagreement with the authorities’ opinions. Instances of searches, arrests, tax inspections and the bringing of charges against relatives of activists and politicians, including against individuals who have left Belarus, also significantly increased in 2021.

The repressive measures have completely erased the space for exercising the right to hold peaceful assemblies. The degree of restriction on freedom of expression has significantly increased and this led to the almost total destruction of the bulk of the most popular independent media. Criminal cases against numerous journalists and editors were brought, including those from foreign media and thousands of resources have been deemed to be ‘extremist materials’.

Especially in the second half of 2021, the focus of restrictions on freedom of expression shifted from the public sphere to the private sphere. Cases of criminal or civil prosecution for dissemination of information in private correspondence or ‘storage of extremist materials’ on personal smartphones have become frequent.

In September 2021 there were about 5,000 criminal cases reported relating to protests, while 40 per cent (2,000) of criminal cases related to cases of defamation and insult of officials2 .  However, the total number of cases relating to prosecutions against civil society may be much higher when alleged tax crimes and other types of crimes are taken into account. According to the newspaper Nasha Niva, which relies on data from the Investigative Committee on the total number of crimes, political cases make up about six per cent of all criminal cases, and, in 99.9 per cent of cases, these end in a guilty verdict, most often followed by imprisonment or some limitation of freedom3 .

As of the end of 2021, human rights defenders are aware of around one thousand political prisoners. Human rights defenders have included around 1,500 people in the list of those convicted in political cases (including penalties not related to deprivation of liberty) and more than 2,400 people in the list of individuals charged in political criminal cases. At the same time, in many cases, past events from 2015-2018 and images or footage from protest actions in 2020 became the grounds for criminal cases.

Detentions and acts of repression, are becoming more and more difficult to monitor and record in 2021 because of pressure on all groups engaged in such human rights monitoring activities.
In the spring of 2021, the Belarusian authorities threatened to proceed with the destruction of CSOs. This was justified by the intention to respond to the policy of sanctions against Belarus by foreign states. Many activists became suspects in criminal and a campaign on involuntary liquidation of CSOs was also launched.  In total, by the end of 2021 more than 360 CSOs of various forms fell under involuntary liquidation in a judicial or non-judicial procedure, another 210 CSOs decided to voluntarily liquidate themselves. The de-registration of CSOs has an even more serious impact, due to the announced return into the criminal code in December 2021 of the infamous Article 193-1, imposing a penalty of financial fine, or arrest for up to three months, or imprisonment for up to two years for activities of unregistered or liquidated CSOs or religious organisations.

The number of newly-registered CSOs in 2021 was the lowest in the last two decades (38 public associations, 3 unions and 7 foundations), while the total number of public associations decreased for the first time in many years.  
In general, in other areas measured by the CSO Meter, laws and practices deteriorated within the framework of the existing regime. For example, in November 2021, amendments to the legislation regulating foreign funding of CSOs restricted the existing list of possible purposes for the receipt of foreign funding, introduced additional restrictions on foreign anonymous donations, and clarified some terms. The requirements for public reporting by CSOs expanded. While conducting legal reforms, the opinions of CSOs were ignored and not implemented.  

New rules for data processing have made the work of CSOs much more difficult. The introduction of criminal liability for violation of these rules may potentially mean the creation of a new tool for the repression of CSOs. Some old and new Belarusian civil groups and CSOs have survived and continue operations in different areas.

Video story

In what ways has CSO Meter proven to be useful when CSOs face extreme restrictions in Belarus? Find out more from our video below:

Related updates