Viasna highlights crackdown on dissent disguised as counterterrorism

April 11, BPN. Belarusian human rights activist Pavieł Sapiełka says combating dissent under the guise of fighting terrorism and extremism has been a hallmark of the post-election crackdown.

“The right to freedom of expression was under pressure in Belarus even before 2020. But now the Belarusian authorities’ desire to do it under the plausible pretext of combating terrorism and extremism is particularly evident. It is this circumstance that makes the situation in Belarus even more dramatic,” said the lawyer of the Viasna Human Rights Center on April 11 in Vilnius.

“Starting from 2021, amendments to the criminal legislation began to be introduced. A decree of the Council of Ministers ‘On Measures to Combat Extremism and Rehabilitation of Nazism’ was adopted,” Sapiełka said, presenting the report “Restriction of Freedom of Expression Under the Guise of Combating Extremism and Terrorism.”

At the same time, “the judiciary lost the features of justice, became an instrument of power, and the role of judges in the political prosecution under extremist and defamatory articles soared,” he added.

Sapiełka noted that the interior ministry runs a list of citizens “involved in extremist activities,” based on court verdicts. There were 2,531 people on the list as of March 15.

The list of “extremist groups,” compiled by the KGB and the interior ministry, includes 121 positions, including newsrooms, NGOs, the Trade Union of Electronic Industry Workers (REP), political figures (former presidential hopeful Valer Capkała, National Anti-Crisis Management, Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja’s team, Coordination Council), and even the Tor Band musicians.

The register of organizations and people allegedly involved in terrorism includes 401 organizations and 1,015 people, of whom 266 are Belarusian nationals.