{"id":119710,"date":"2024-12-25T19:53:32","date_gmt":"2024-12-25T16:53:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/119710\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"viasna-authorities-extort-money-from-belarusians-over-donations","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/119710\/","title":{"rendered":"Viasna: authorities extort money from Belarusians over donations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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December 25, Pozirk. <\/em><\/strong> Belarusian law enforcement officers seek “compensation of damages” for donations to opposition initiatives from people who have already paid in the past, the Viasna Human Rights Center said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rights defenders said they had information on several cases when people were forced to pay by financial investigators from the State Control Committee and the interior ministry’s organized crime unit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prosecutors also stepped up pressure on people known for donations to the opposition in the run-up to the January presidential election, sending out summons at the addresses where exiled Belarusians have registered residences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Penalties for donations to blacklisted initiatives may range from five to 12 years in prison. More than 90 people were sentenced to a total of 255 years of prison and restricted freedom for donations, Viasna said earlier this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 2023, the Committee for State Security has started demanding exorbitant “compensations” from those who donated money to the opposition groups over the past four years. Belarusians reportedly paid to authorities more than 37 million rubels (about $11.5 million) last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the contested 2020 presidential election and crackdown on protests, authorities in Belarus have equated solidarity, advocacy, the free media and free expression to extremism and terrorism.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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