The 2025 elections were indeed more of a formality, a one-man show. Since 2020, Belarusian civil society has been entirely dismantled. The state has liquidated all registered NGOs, with some being labeled as extremist organizations. The same has happened to the media—independent outlets have been branded as extremist, and disseminating their information is now a criminal offense. Alternative presidential candidates who ran in the 2020 elections are either imprisoned or in forced exile. According to the human rights center “Viasna,” 65,000 people were detained in Belarus between 2020 and 2024. As of October 17, 2024, there are 1,288 political prisoners in the country. It is within this oppressive environment that the current elections will take place. All current presidential candidates were mere puppets placed by Lukashenko’s regime. The elections were occurring under unprecedented societal pressure, with a total ban on any alternative to state-sanctioned information. The KGB has initiated preventive detentions of a few remaining activists and journalists who have tried to work covertly. This is all being done to present a sanitized image on election day—a picture-perfect victory for Lukashenko in an election without real choice.
The situation is dire. After 2020, the LGBTIQ community became a target for law enforcement. Since queer activists participated in protests under rainbow flags, authorities have exploited homophobic sentiments in Belarus to discredit the broader 2020 protest movement. This is being done through aggressive propaganda and hate speech against queer people in the media, as well as “humiliating videos” where individuals are forced to disclose their orientation or gender identity, often accompanied by the public release of intimate photos or private messages. Many from the community have been imprisoned for protesting or are under house arrest. Charges like hooliganism or participation in mass riots are commonly used to target queer individuals.
In spring 2024, authorities gained an additional tool for repression: the so-called pornography law. It defines “depictions of non-traditional sexual relations and/or sexual behavior” or “depictions of transgender persons” as pornography. The vague wording allows for broad interpretation, giving authorities greater leeway to oppress the community. Under this law, individuals can face up to four years in prison, and arrests under this provision have already begun. We know of cases involving transgender persons detained under this law. The situation is exacerbated by the lack of awareness among some community members about the risks they face. With independent media now outlawed, many people fear consuming news or following independent outlets on social media.
Everyone copes as best they can. Some community members who remain in Belarus choose to hide and blend in—avoiding contact with other LGBTIQ individuals, not following the news, and isolating themselves completely. Others try to organize in small groups for activities like film screenings or support meetings, though the increasing number of arrests has made offline events increasingly rare. We still have the ability to reach our audiences online through platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Telegram. These online spaces remain relatively safe for sharing information, life hacks, and offering a sense of solidarity. Through these platforms, people can feel less alone in navigating this crisis. Our organization creates helpful content, such as safety tips for dating or explainers about new laws, offering community members a sense of control instead of helplessness and despair. Support for this content can be provided through Patreon. For those already on the police radar but not yet imprisoned, we try to assist with evacuation. We organize visa support and secure funding for their initial needs abroad. For example, our colleagues at the Prizmatika initiative are currently fundraising to help evacuees.
Would you like to learn more about civil societies under pressure? Read our interview with Andrej Stryzhak, Head of BYSOL Foundation, now.
