June 2, Pozirk. Belarus is classified as a country where no space exists for civil society, according to the latest Atlas of Civil Society report by the German non-governmental organization Brot für die Welt.
It said that about 30 percent of the world’s population lives in “closed” countries where the space for civil society is completely limited legally and practically and an atmosphere of fear reigns. In these countries, any criticism of the regime is strictly punished, freedom of the press is nonexistent and the Internet is heavily censored, with most websites blocked.
Besides Belarus, 28 other states are classified as such, including China, Iran, North Korea and Russia.
According to the report, only 3.5 percent of the world’s population lives in countries where the full freedom of speech and assembly is guaranteed. In contrast, 85 percent of the world’s population, or nearly 7 billion people, live in countries where civil society is restricted, suppressed or closed.
Brot für die Welt, a Protestant church-affiliated NGO, focuses on fighting hunger and advocates for world justice, peace and education.
According to the Lawtrend human rights group, Belarus dissolved at least 1,936 NGOs between the presidential election of 2020 and May 2025.
