Belarusian security forces raid families of political exiles
Belarusian security forces during a search / spring96.org
Belarusian authorities continue to carry out searches at the registered addresses of citizens who have left the country. Human rights defenders say they have documented more than 30 such cases so far, according to the Human Rights Center Viasna.
The searches reportedly target relatives of activists living abroad. Such actions have raised concerns among human rights groups.
Some of the searches may be linked to Belarusians’ participation in Freedom Day events (25th of March). Celebrations took place in Warsaw, Vilnius, Białystok and several cities across the United States. Human rights defenders believe the locations and nature of the events suggest a deliberate campaign of pressure against the Belarusian diaspora. According to their assessment, the scale of such actions continues to grow.
Human rights organizations are urging people to report cases of politically motivated persecution so they can document incidents and assess the full extent of ongoing repression.
