Belarus punishes support for Ukraine: hundreds convicted since the start of the full-scale war
Since February 2022, at least 419 people have been convicted in Belarus for supporting Ukraine. Among those punished are 73 women, and 142 of the convicted individuals remain in custody.
This is reported by the Belarusian human rights center “Viasna.”
The actual number of criminal cases brought against citizens may be significantly higher than the recorded figures.
The largest group of those convicted consists of individuals who shared photographs and videos showing the movement of Russian military equipment. A total of 222 people were sentenced for “facilitating extremist activities.”
Forty-four people were convicted of high treason in connection with their support for Ukraine. Additionally, 17 foreign nationals were punished for alleged espionage.
Another 29 people were convicted of terrorism in cases involving acts of sabotage on railways and at a military airfield. Forty-five individuals received sentences for making financial donations to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
A significant number of detentions involving Ukrainians occurred as part of the so-called “Hayun Case”—a wave of arrests linked to the activities of the monitoring project “Belaruski Hayun.”
It should be noted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyі recently warned that western Ukraine is at risk of strikes, as Putin intends to deploy ballistic missiles in Belarus.