Minsk threatens opposition march participants with criminal prosecution

August 5, Pozirk. The Investigative Committee in Minsk has warned Belarusians against taking part in opposition-organized events abroad, days before a high-profile conference and a march in Warsaw marking the fifth anniversary of the 2020 disputed presidential election.
The Committee said it has identified “207 more” participants in Freedom Day rallies held in March in Canada, Lithuania, Poland, the United States and the UK and treats them as suspects in an extremism-related case.
It described the opposition’s events abroad as an attempt to discredit Belarus, incite social hatred, imitate support for radical movements and attract funding for opposition initiatives.
In a separate development, Minsk has handed a note of protest to Polish charge d’affaires in connection with the events that the Belarusian opposition plans to stage in Warsaw on August 9 and 10.
The purpose of the events is to “cause harm to the Republic of Belarus,” the foreign ministry said. “Such hostile actions do not contribute to the restoration of normal dialogue between . . . the states and directly harm Belarusian-Polish relations,” it added.
Opposition politician Franak Viačorka told Pozirk that the events will go ahead as planned despite the threats.
The regime “wants complete silence; it wants everyone to forget about political prisoners, repression and the regime’s crimes but we will speak out. We will speak out about what irritates the regime at the conference and the march in Warsaw and at rallies all over the world,” he said.

Minsk hands note of protest to Polish diplomat over planned Belarusian events in Warsaw
- PoliticsInterior ministry adds 14 names to extremist listThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, Security
- Politics
- Politics, SocietyInternational platform documented testimonies of 2,700 victims of political persecution in BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyParalympic Committee head Šepiel in custody since late JulyThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- PoliticsOpposition politician: Belarusian stand against takeover matches Europe’s security goalsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityLithuania beefs up air defenses ahead of Zapad-2025 – generalThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- SocietyBelarusian PEN awarded 2025 Hiroshima Peace PrizeThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsCichanoŭskaja: Denmark’s democratic leadership a model for BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsReprisals: police target management of major ticketing serviceThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsBelarusian ambassador presents credentials to Venezuelan leaderThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyNearly half of Belarusians had disposable income below 1,000 rubelsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Society, SportBelarusian biathletes not to participate in 2026 Winter OlympicsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SocietyTaćciana Šytcova resigns as Cichanoŭskaja’s aide for education and scienceThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- PoliticsVon der Leyen to visit EU-Belarus borderThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyBelarus customs seize over 600 kg of psychoactive drugsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyOfficials tackle staff shortages with heavier workloads for teachersThe material is available only to POZIRK+