Belarus has convicted at least 419 people for supporting Ukraine since 2022, rights group says

In a report published on October 22, the group said 142 of those convicted remain behind bars and warned that the actual scale of prosecutions could be significantly higher.

The largest group - 222 people - were convicted of “facilitating extremist activities,” primarily for sharing photographs and videos showing the movement of Russian military equipment through Belarus.

Another 44 people were convicted of treason in connection with their support for Ukraine, while 17 foreign nationals were sentenced on charges of acting as foreign agents.

According to Viasna, 29 people were convicted on terrorism charges, including cases involving alleged sabotage of railways and a military airfield. Another 45 were convicted for making donations, under laws criminalizing the financing of terrorism or extremist organizations.

Crackdown on military monitoring project

One of the largest cases involves Belaruski Hayun, an independent monitoring project that tracked the movements of Russian and Belarusian military forces.

After the project's reporting bot was hacked in February 2025 and personal information was obtained by Belarusian security services, authorities launched a wave of arrests targeting people who had submitted information.

As of October 22, Viasna had identified 141 people prosecuted in connection with the case, 41 of whom remain imprisoned.

The group also documented 42 convictions for participation in, or preparation to join, armed formations fighting on Ukraine's side, including the Kastus Kalinouski Regiment.

Another 37 people, including Belarusian volunteers and activists living abroad, have been sentenced in absentia in cases related to the war.

Viasna said prosecutions continue, including cases against people accused of helping monitor Russian troop movements or supporting Ukrainian forces.