{"id":139468,"date":"2025-05-23T13:38:52","date_gmt":"2025-05-23T10:38:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/139468\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"viasna-135-people-convicted-over-donations-since-2020","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/139468\/","title":{"rendered":"Viasna: 135 people convicted over donations since 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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May 23, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> At least 135 people have been convicted in Belarus since 2020 for donating money to opposition groups blacklisted by Minsk, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities accused them of financing extremist groups and terrorist activities as well as participating in armed groups abroad for alleged support of Ukraine. Rights defenders know of 85 defendants in such cases currently held behind bars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hundreds had their homes searched and were subjected to interrogations, Viasna said, noting that law enforcers often intimidated many people into making substantial money transfers to special state-run accounts to prevent the filing of criminal charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Donations to various funds and initiatives that help reprisal victims in Belarus gained popularity during the 2020 postelection protests. In response, authorities in Minsk started branding these initiatives as extremist groups or even terrorist organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A crackdown on regime critics in Belarus continues unabated since the 2020 political crisis, while criticism, solidarity, advocacy, the free media and free expression are equated with extremism and terrorism.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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