20 August 2026
On the assessment of the human rights situation in Belarus when considering applications for international protection submitted in Poland by Belarusian citizens who have left the country due to political repression.
The Coordination Committee of the Belarusian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum expresses concern about the increasingly frequent reports of refusals to grant international protection to Belarusian citizens in Poland, including on the basis of erroneous conclusions that the scale of political repression has decreased and, consequently, that the risk of persecution in the event of return to the country has diminished.
We express our deep gratitude for the extensive and systematic efforts to process applications submitted by Belarusian citizens and for providing international protection to persons who cannot safely return to Belarus due to ongoing repression. At the same time, we hope that all subsequent decisions will continue to be based on a current and objective assessment of the human rights situation in the country of origin, in accordance with the requirements of Article 4 of Directive 2011/95/EU (the “Qualification Directive”) and Article 10 of Directive 2013/32/EU the “Procedures Directive”), taking into account information from international institutions and
human rights organisations.
Current comprehensive analyses covering 2025–2026 indicate the systemic and persistent nature of political repression against Belarusian citizens connected with the events of 2020 and subsequent cases of politically motivated persecution, including its transnational forms.
The report of the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), “Belarus: Political Opposition and Dissent” [1], published on 12 May 2026, points to the continuation of a systemic campaign of repression against persons associated with the 2020 protests, representatives of the opposition and civil society, as well as journalists, human rights defenders, lawyers, former political prisoners and their family members. The EUAA points to the use of legislation concerning “extremism” and “terrorism” to suppress dissent, including in connection with donations to
organisations designated as “extremist”, the conduct of special proceedings in absentia, pressure on activists’ families, monitoring of the Belarusian diaspora, and checks on persons returning to the country.
According to the Human Rights Watch (HRW) World Report 2026 [2], as of December 2025, at least 1,110 people remained deprived of their liberty for politically motivated reasons. Political prisoners continued to be subjected to ill-treatment, isolation and torture; some cases of
prolonged detention without contact with the outside world were considered practices that could amount to torture and could constitute enforced disappearance. At least two prisoners died in places of detention in 2025. HRW also documents searches of the homes and interrogations of family members of citizens residing abroad, confiscation of their property, as well as politically
motivated checks and detentions of persons returning to Belarus.
According to data from the Human Rights Center “Viasna” [3], at least 1,254 people were convicted in 2025 in criminal cases initiated for political reasons, in addition to the significant number of people subjected during the year to administrative liability on similar grounds. In the
period following 9 August 2025 alone, at least 750 new politically motivated convictions were identified, while the actual number, according to human rights defenders, may be significantly higher.
The report of the UN Group of Independent Experts on the Human Rights Situation in Belarus (GIEB), A/HRC/61/57, dated February 2026 [4], confirms the continued occurrence of widespread human rights violations, including arbitrary deprivation of liberty — at the time the
report was prepared, more than 1,130 people remained deprived of their liberty for political reasons — torture and other cruel treatment, including sexual violence, as well as transnational repression against Belarusians in exile. The Group’s experts stated unequivocally that “crimes against humanity in the form of political persecution and deprivation of liberty have been committed in Belarus since 1 May 2020”, and pointed to reasonable grounds to believe that the documented violations are being committed as part of a widespread and systematic attack directed against the civilian population.
We also ask that consideration be given to the Human Rights Center “Viasna” report entitled “From Mass Detentions to Cross-Border Persecution: Six Years of Repression in Belarus”, prepared as of 9 August 2026 [5], which is currently one of the most comprehensive studies of the scale and nature of political repression in Belarus.
Thus, the release of individual political prisoners or a decrease in the number of detentions in certain categories of cases does not indicate that repression has ended. Rather, its nature has changed: persecution has become more selective, institutionalised, transnational and more
difficult to document. At present, politically motivated repression includes, among other things:
- criminal and administrative proceedings related to publications, comments, subscriptions
and other activity on social media;
- persecution for making donations to independent initiatives and organisations designated
as “extremist”;
- designation of media outlets, online resources and civic initiatives as “extremist” or
“terrorist”;
- initiation of criminal proceedings against citizens residing outside Belarus, including the
conduct of proceedings and issuance of convictions in absentia;
– confiscation of the property of persons living in exile;
– pressure on former political prisoners following their release;
persecution of journalists, human rights defenders, lawyers and representatives of civil
society;
– pressure, searches and interrogations of family members of activists and Belarusians
living abroad;
– surveillance and intimidation of active representatives of the Belarusian diaspora abroad;
– inspection of electronic devices, interrogations and other forms of control when crossing
the border and after returning to Belarus.
The transnational nature of repression is of particular concern. Public and professional activities carried out outside Belarus, participation in conferences, cooperation with democratic organisations and human rights organisations, work in independent media, support for civic initiatives, and activity on social media may be monitored by the Belarusian authorities and may lead to a risk of persecution upon return. For example, participation in solidarity actions, including those organised on the occasion of Freedom Day (Dzień Voli), has repeatedly led to
participants being identified on the basis of photographs and video recordings, followed by the initiation of criminal proceedings against them.
The EUAA explicitly points to monitoring of the Belarusian diaspora, systematic checks of phones, and questioning of citizens when crossing the border. Therefore, the absence of criminal proceedings at the time an application for international protection is considered, or prolonged
residence abroad, cannot in itself demonstrate the absence or reduction of the risk of persecution.
It should also be taken into account that the decrease in the number of public protests and other forms of civic activity is, according to assessments by human rights organisations and UN experts, a consequence of the unprecedented scale of repression and the atmosphere of fear, rather than an improvement in the human rights situation.
International protection is available not only to persons who have already experienced persecution, but also to those who have a well-founded fear of persecution in the event of return.
When assessing this risk, in accordance with Article 4(3) of the Qualification Directive, it is necessary to take into account not only the events of 2020, but also the applicant’s subsequent activities outside Belarus — social, professional, humanitarian, journalistic, human rights-related
or political — including activities undertaken after leaving the country (a need for protection arising sur place), as well as the risk arising from the transnational nature of repression.
In view of the above, we call upon the competent authorities of the Republic of Poland to:
– base assessments of the situation in Belarus on the broadest possible range of current, international and independent sources, including materials from the EUAA, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Human Rights Watch and
Belarusian human rights organisations;
– take into account not only quantitative data concerning detentions, but also qualitative changes and the institutionalisation of methods of political repression;
– take into account the transnational nature of the persecution of Belarusian citizens and the concept of a need for protection arising after leaving the country (sur place);
– take into account risks related to applicants’ activities in exile, their digital footprint on social media, and possible pressure exerted on their family members remaining in Belarus;
– take into account the practice of conducting special proceedings in absentia, confiscation of property, inspection of electronic devices, and questioning of citizens returning to the country;
– ensure an individual, comprehensive and objective assessment of each case in accordance with the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees, European Union law — in particular Directives 2011/95/EU and 2013/32/EU — and the principle of non-refoulement (Article 33 of the 1951 Convention, Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and Article 19 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union).
We also call upon the institutions of the European Union, including the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), to continue monitoring the human rights situation in Belarus and to support the development of a coherent
approach to assessing the risk of political persecution of Belarusian citizens in EU Member States.
Belarusian civil society highly values the support provided by the Republic of Poland and the European Union to Belarusian citizens forced to leave the country as a result of political repression.
We are convinced that an objective and up-to-date assessment of the situation in Belarus and consistent adherence to international refugee protection standards are of fundamental importance both for the safety of individuals and for the protection of fundamental European values.
Contact:
Belarusian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum
e-mail: csfbelarus@gmail.com
References:
[1] https://www.euaa.europa.eu/publications/coi-report-belarus-political-opposition-and-dissent
[2] https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2026/country-chapters/belarus
[3] https://spring96.org/ru/news/119371
[4] https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/gie-belarus/index
[5] https://spring96.org/en/news/120875
