Three Decades of Crisis and a Humanitarian Catastrophe Behind Prison Walls
Over the last three decades, the systemic dismantling of democratic institutions, an independent press, and civil society in Belarus has led to an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Today, more than 900 officially recognized political prisoners are held behind barbed wire, while the actual number of detained citizens reaches into the thousands.
These are not just abstract statistics. At least nine people have already died in Belarusian prisons. The conditions-unheated punishment cells, years of isolation without the right to make a phone call, and a deliberate denial of medical care- have turned imprisonment into a process of slow physical annihilation.
The Human Dimension: When Every Day Counts
Behind the dry figures in reports lie the real lives of seriously ill individuals, for whom time behind bars has become a matter of life and death:
The threat of total blindness: Public figure Vatslau Oreshka has completely lost his sight while in custody, and pensioner Volha Mayorava, sentenced to 21.5 years in a penal colony, is on the verge of total blindness.
Oncological diagnoses: Aksana Shalyapina, Tatsiana Kolas, and Siarhei Kabarchuk have been diagnosed with cancer, all while facing a complete lack of specialized medical care.
Draconian sentences for the elderly and parents: 71-year-old Iryna Melkher is serving a 17-year sentence while suffering from severe health problems. Anna Karneenka was detained while breastfeeding her five-month-old child and has not seen her son for over three years.
Eduard Babaryka has been held in captivity for more than six and a half years.
An Open Letter from 135 Former Political Prisoners: A Turning Point
On October 20, 2026, 135 former political prisoners—including Viktar Babaryka, Maryia Kalesnikava, Siarhei Tsikhanouski, Maryna Zolatava, Tatsiana Kuzina, Mikhail Laban, and others—issued a direct open letter to European leaders.
Their core principle is uncompromising: “No political goal is worth human health or life.”
The signatories urged the European Union, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, and the United States to employ all available levers-negotiations, public and private diplomacy, pressure, and economic incentives-to immediately secure the release of critically ill hostages from penal colonies. They emphasized that securing such releases must be an immediate and permanent foreign policy priority, rather than a matter subject to endless delays.
The signatories urged the European Union, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, and the United States to employ all available levers-negotiations, public and private diplomacy, pressure, and economic incentives-to immediately secure the release of critically ill hostages from penal colonies. They emphasized that securing such releases must be an immediate and permanent foreign policy priority, rather than a matter subject to endless delays.
Political Withdrawal and the Establishment’s Rhetorical Shield
The reaction of the established political and human rights community to this humanitarian appeal has exposed a profound systemic rift.
Refusal to sign and a shift toward global-scale initiatives: Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski declined to sign the appeal from the 135 former prisoners. In an interview, he spoke out against negotiated agreements and the easing of sanctions, dismissing efforts to secure releases as a “merry-go-round” that effectively turns prisoners into a “perpetual commodity.” At the same time, Bialiatski announced the creation of a new entity in Warsaw- the “Ales Bialiatski Foundation”- which shifts the focus toward global peacebuilding and the preservation of the organization’s own institutional structures.
Shifting responsibility and the rhetoric of “unity”: Official political offices responded with video statements that redirected the focus of grievances-asserting that “the true target for demands is Minsk”- while urging against “splitting the democratic forces.”
For former prisoners, this approach appears to be an attempt to stifle criticism and justify the lack of tangible results in securing the release of those held captive.
Multi-Million-Euro Budgets Amidst a Crisis
The stark contrast between the indefinite captivity of individuals and the institutional prosperity of the human rights center “Viasna” is evidenced by the official financial reports of the organization’s Lithuanian legal entities (“Pavasaris” / “Viasna-1” and “Krasavik” / “Viasna-2”).
6.5-fold increase in annual revenue between 2020 and 2025:
| Fiscal Year | Pavasaris (Vyasna-1) | Krasavik (Vyasna-2) | Combined Annual Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | €396,664 | — | €396,664 |
| 2021 | €883,781 | — | €883,781 |
| 2022 | €1,326,450 | €353,114 | €1,679,564 |
| 2023 | €818,202 | €1,036,842 | €1,855,044 |
| 2024 | €93,490 | €1,928,914 | €2,022,404 |
| 2025 | €24,741 | €2,595,710 | €2,620,451 |
| TOTAL (2020–2025) | €3,543,328 | €5,914,580 | €9,457,908 |
The accumulation of €9,457,908 over six years highlights a stark structural contrast: while major institutions expand multi-million-euro budgets and pivot toward global policy forums, grassroots demands for dedicated hostage rescue negotiations remain unbacked by the political establishment
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FORMAL DEMANDS OF THE BELARUSIAN REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY (BRA)
In its official submission signed by President & CEO Tamara Queen, BRA outlines four non-negotiable mandates for international policymakers
Human Lives Over Political Convenience: International institutions must explicitly place the physical survival of political prisoners above political expediency, diplomatic comfort, and bureaucratic delays
Unified Transatlantic Front (USA, EU, UK, Switzerland): Mobilizing diaspora networks and U.S. decision-makers, BRA demands a synchronized alliance uniting North American and European leverage to exert continuous pressure until every prisoner is released
Complete Elimination of Repression: Prisoner releases must not be used as a cover for forced permanent exile, nor leave those remaining behind exposed to immediate re-arrest international policy must target the complete dismantling of the persecution apparatus
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Direct Inclusion of Civic Authorities: International strategy must integrate the direct leadership of former political prisoners and representative civic bodies, eliminating closed-door decision-making by isolated political elites
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MEDIA & INSTITUTIONAL CONTACT
Belarusian Representative Assembly (BRA)
1207 Delaware Ave, Suite 4559, Wilmington, DE, USA 19806
Media Inquiries & Press Office: press@assembly.belarusian.org
Official Statement Filing Date: October 2026